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Showing posts with the label Branding

Why your business need a website in social media age

Indeed well known fact, but let me say here again, Social Media is the place to connect with like minded people. Social Media is open to all, anyone can join, it's powerful. The power of social media cannot be underestimated. But do you know, Social Media is Open for all with a closed boundaries. Its pretty same like when you need to fly a distant country you need a valid visa too. Let's come to the website part; I suppose a website is like Open Nature Park where anyone can go, and relax. When you have a website anyone can visit this, more visitors means more popularity. Often monuments are much popular that that specific villa owned by a millionaire in neighborhood. Website is your virtual space, anything that you do on your website fully belongs to you. Its like those farmlands where you can grow crops of choice that make good dividends for you. People connected to you on a social media platform will come and go, some of those will become truly strong connections. However, yo

Authority vs Order

 My First in Hack Gaps: Authority Versus Order So you want to get maximum out of your staff? Give them authority, more authority. When order comes in the form of a gentle request employees feel good, they feel that they are important to company, boss respect them and they take responsibility.  If you want to take your business from 0 to 1, give them more authority. If you want to take your business from 1 to n, order your employees. I am privileged to work with a top notch Indian company in a small capacity. But in a span of 18 years I never received any order to work, there are no orders to work for bunch A or Bunch B of task. When a task comes I have full authority to gain full control on it and perform. For obvious reasons there are enough checks and balances. I do not feel over burdened even when there is massive task to perform, huge team to work in cooperation with each other. Like any other person I equally need to inform what has been done, what I am doing at my desk, what I am

Hack Gaps

 Just I was writing an email to my collogue and the term Hack Gaps suddenly I keyed. So let's Hack Gaps to build that unique brand. My terms are stolen more often so I thought to key down it here to flaunt and say see I am the creator of Hack Gaps. I don't know if anyone before today has said or written or thought that term before I wrote that email.  Whether someone before has thought or not, not my business. But my business is to make optimal use of the term I said, and thought it's nascent for me. However, you have to wait for sometime or may be days before I come up with something may be like how to use hack gaps to build your brand.

How to get quality traffic on a single page website that converts

Single page website? Not a bad idea. May be you want to sell your products online. You can not write too much as you are too busy in creating and modifying your product. And you need to travel a lot. Its one page website with simple product picture, detailed description, ways to order and customer. You are not tech savvy and don't want to invest too much on website. One page is enough for you. Its doable, but without traffic how will you generate online sales. That is the question right? I said quality traffic that converts and make your bank account numbers increase.  Its a good idea that you want to focus on your product so let it be. Generating online leads is important. Customers are too busy to visit a shop today. They prefer to order online. But how, here we go into deeper details... Find your tribe: Look for people online who sell a similar product. Know where are other sellers. Find your related tribe: What other key things your customer might be using. And from where the

What makes a good article headline

Headline is first thing that people see in search results. A good headline for any type of blog post or article or may be a landing page is that clearly tell reader how the content in this webpage will help you. For example in this blog post I write title / headline as 'What make a good headline'. I did search for the key phrase attention grabbing headline and there are innumerable article around same in different  ways. Purpose of all those articles is same to get viewership. My purpose is also same. I would expect that someone read this article and then contact me to write for her brand. If I have not written this article here for my small readership base then too there is plenty of that available over internet. This is why I decided to put it my ways, what I think about a good headline. A good headline should be small enough such that it can be read in a fraction of a second. It must not contain to many helping verbs and special characters. Only meaningful special characters

Automation for Online Business Branding: Good or Bad

In this universe nothing is extreme; everything is measurable in terms of numbers. Some we know, more we try to understand daily, and even more is left daily to learn. Automation i.e. Use of Technology for Business branding is near perfect. Nothing is fully perfect so is true with software programmes. Automation is completely fine to implement on your business, however, you won't fully depend on any software programme whether its free to use or premium grade. This should be adequate mix of human intelligence and artificial intelligence.  To get maximum out of artificial intelligence (ai) we need to learn it. We need to what this automation tool does and what I am looking for, whether it fits to my requirements. Whether, you are individual or a company, before using any software program must know your needs first, then check the parameters whether those offered by automatic software full your business needs. I have seen many businesses using automation with full noise then collapsin

Consume Quality Content

 How to know what is quality content? There is nothing like good quality or bad quality. Every idea is unique. If you write blog posts and articles regularly, if blogging is something of which earn money whether selling your products or advertisements then writing quality content is essential. Any content piece you have written today will be older tomorrow. Content is worth till its not on papers or screens. Once you deliver idea to the world its something less. You need to strive for better.  Better Content means better business branding and what you consume that you deliver. Learning has no short cuts. Biggest mistake every majority business does is chose short term routes. Result- Your growth is short.  Look any big companies and man behind them, you will learn the brand building was not easy. Any brand that build itself and maintain continuous efforts is never never never a result of short routes. Short routes looks easy to take but never help you in reaching the destination. And i

Canva Review: Graphic design tool to build your brand

Design tools are essential for every business. Hiring a designer is is quite fine but what you do not have that budget. Perhaps you will look for some tools online, right? A tool that is user friendly so you can give your content and media some colors too. Photoshop is most widely used tool but someone who uses design tools occasionally download and install one such tools is not a very great idea. It will take lots of resources too.  All computer programmes whether you use a Windows or Linux and may be a Mac comes with graphic design tools. However, those are very basic type. I never used Mac so can't say much about a Mac. May be that is great because Steve Jobs was a great artist in the first place. But when you need a tool for basic purposes you may need an easy to use Graphic Design tool. A tool that can do quick designs for you. I am using Canva since many years  till now free version. Personally I give Canva Graphic Design tool 4 out of 5 points. Its browser based and works ve

How to do content referencing correctly

There is a common belief- when you give reference link below your article or put down source link it helps in ranking your article, may be whole blog and you will get enormous traffic. May be you will get results using these technics, perhaps you may pass the litmus test of ranking on search engine this way for sometime, may be days or months. But question is do you really know the source. There is a rat race in the name of Off-Page SEO, ranking on first page or top of Google Search. However, I see this tactic in a completely different way.  In my opinion and experience if you really don't know the source it won't be sustainable for long. Readers who scroll down till end of the page are real readers. Majority of those are true readers who know well about those sources and if they find a reference link source that is unknown they are intended to click over it and look or read. Here at this point you will be exposed. Your page will be exposed. A reader who trusted on your webpage

SEO tips for Small Size Informational Websites' Home Page

In my understanding, informational websites are the type of sites those display Site Categories on Home Page and each sub page holds one page only. To get to next pages either a user click on related links or look for site sub categories in the margins or use site search.  Unlike blogs where we display multiple posts on home pages and its daily changing, an information website home page is often static and changes less frequently. Good SEO means what I understand is you are making site for audience and not search engines. So me let me dissect SEO tips for Informational Websites, I suppose you have one and these small tips will build your online brand. Above the Fold Top Header Zone SEO tips for Informational Websites In this area display your site name and logo which you obviously do. Below give space for your service and products. If you display banner one banner could do well here. You can split this banner as per your requirements. Above the Fold Post SEO tips for Informational Webs

SEO Tools Free or Paid; which one to chose

Free??? Virtually nothing is free. There are two type of free tools; one created by small time developers who want to show skills to the world; second types are created by professionals and companies. I am not against type one. But these are the variety of tools not updated regularly for the new changing matrix. While propriety tools are updated often more quickly. If you are beginner and have budget constraints then chose free seo tools. However, if you have budget go for subscription services, I wont like to give any names here. I recommend names only when I have personally tried a service. However, when looking for SEO tools subscription service first try couple of those and identify which one will suit your business, your website your blog or your social media. Any tools has its pros and cons so as the SEO tools. Best way to chose and seo tool is to ask yourself what I am expecting from my website or social media or blog? Then look for the seo tools across libraries, test and try c

Link distribution tips for small business; 3 points

Link distribution, link spreading, linking your website or product page is common strategy to let people know about your product and services. Automatic Website Builders and CMSes like WordPress has made the website creation job easy. Specially small websites many people can create with little patience. What makes the difference in business is how much you are able to accelerate CTAs through your website, product page or may be a landing page. When a website is there its obvious that we go online and share links among family and friends and then come next task, i.e. sharing with public. This is where link distribution begins. So before you truly start link distribution look for: Where your customers are? In the age of Internet your customers are worldwide, Identify to who you can serve truly? Sitting in Ahmedabad you can not deliver water bottle to a thirsty prospect in Amsterdam. Find where your competitors are?   A business based out of Oregon can not serve ready to eat pasta in Odis

Move out or move on,

 when no option is left? Students of Mathematics knows that every problem has a solution; and, even no solution is a solution. You do not need to be a Mathematician to accept this. The thoughts I am going to say here are outcome of a hard learning out of my personal life (details not needed) but this relates to business as well. Starting a business is first step but to take it to next level needs significant efforts. 3M = Money, Mind, Mass: you need to put in right proportion, at right time, at right places to keep it going. Often you succeed. However there is always a possibility of unknown. This unknown could be small, medium, big or giant to stop you. And unfortunately when everything is going fine and you are near to achieve your targets you meet this unknown, the giant: a situation when everything is going good but all of a sudden everything put on a halt with a massive jerk. You are in a situation where nothing in your hand, you think why this has happened to you, where you need

Say yes for the sake of formality but when

 Being informal is not a bad idea. Being hundred percent informal may break your business into pieces. Building a business requires to gather hundreds of bits and pieces. It takes sweat and build and unknowingly you break it when you are hundred percent informal. Being too much informal is sound rigid even if you don't mean then too a client, a customer, a support staff may consider you dominating or arrogant. Building a business requires partnerships not one but many. The legendary cricketer Sir SR Tendulkar has mentioned in many interviews, 'cricket is about partnerships and its not only cricket, life is about partnerships.'  Being realistic is fine but being too realistic can break that partnership that you have built over years. Relationship building is a task. And just for one small reason which may even be not reason you can break a beautiful partnership with a potential prospect. People in and around me are often happy in my company. Together we enjoy pretty good tim

Ask Tough Questions-Get Simple Answers

I will do but its not easy, I can do but its tough. I may do but there are hurdles. Life goes like that. Be it day to day life, schooling, job, small business or entrepreneurship.  Ask Tough Questions-Get Simple Answers. Often we have a question or many questions, we need answer but don't know who to ask. Many of us ask questions to our friends, family and general people. For various reasons we often do not reach to experts. Getting in touch with an expert is not easy. We need to book appointment and may require to pay some fees. Often when we have a question we ask to people we are most comfortable with. Sometimes we get answer but oftentimes we get advice. There is a huge difference in advice and answer. Answer is precise and based on facts and figures while advice often comes based on assumptions. Much advice much confusion and moving ahead becomes tougher. So you can get Answer to your business questions this blog is here. Writing post around each and every business topic under

What I learn from Parle-G

Parle-G, who don't know that name in India. Home or Office, Birthday's or a casual visit, morning snacks or evening tea breaks. Good times or days of struggle. Parle-G is always there to help you.  Those were good old days, all play, all fun, fighting with siblings and turn to be a sweet boy if mother is watching. My uncle used to visit us every now and then and each time he made sure to come with one packet of Parle-G biscuit. He happen to be a first class academician. Actually this was the only packet I was allowed to accept from a guest, else, any other thing brought by anyone was completely not allowed. When I little grew up and my other uncle and sisters taught me counting I counted biscuits inside. Then I counted again in next week, then perhaps in next week. And I concluded 12 biscuits for Rs. 2. I did all divisions, multiplications, subtractions and additions around my cookies. To a young chap the Print of Child on the packet was a catch. I used to think why after openi

How to brand your coaching business

Coaching institutes are one of the significant entity in business world. In India there are cities known for coaching centers like New Delhi, Kolakata, Mumbai, Kota, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Chandigarh etc. List is huge. In major cities there are top banners those advertise at a very very very large scale. Then  there are mid sized those hire teachers while main boss sits behind the enclosures, then there are individuals who teach self and also hire some teachers basede on requirements. I have seen many coaching centers opening and closing gates in a few months and years. Normally common reasons cited are, students are not coming to us or we have faculty crunch or we don't have advertising budget, not making profits. If you are going to open a coaching center or already have one its simple you mean to earn money and you need head counts, you need good teacher who work for less pay, this is undeniable fact. But did you ever thought what students need, what parents expect a

Why shall I subscribe to paid email

There are many email clients. Perhaps gmail is largest email provider today. Now we don't hear any more hotmail or yahoo or rediff. Normally a Free Gmail is sufficient to fulfill small business requirements. But then too a paid email client is much better for business. A free email client is for personal use and not for business. There are many paid email clients you can count on to get a premium email service. In general all email clients provide basic features there is not too much difference. Before choosing email for business check features, match with your requirements and opt in. A business email give you a sense of authority. A subscription is your own, you pay for it and rightfully you can use it. Unlike free email client a subscription is a guarantee of service. Service provider is bounded by terms of service to provide you email services. And most importantly its professional way of doing business. It looks cool to your customer. It gives you a sense of authority. You

Qualities in a brandable domain name

Branding is not just a word; in one line i would define it as branding (b) = efforts (e) x trust (t). To say its very simple in practice its not easy. Building mountain high trust need seamless efforts. To establish a brand, it take generations, and demolish it take nothing more than fraction of a second and bad intents. In this side of world TATA is a brand, it represents not only an industry logo but also when you seen it somewhere on the walls, in back of your mind you know what TATA stands for. IBM, who don't, Virgin who don't wana fly, those are big big, truly big not only in terms of market share but the space these companies has gotten in the hearts of people is really really deep. If you are going to start a business and looking to build something be ready with enough of fuel to put efforts and win trust. Be trusted like TATA. If you are looking to get your business domain name looking for something awesome i would like to inform you every name is awesome. Its you who

List of 1500 plus top level domain

When a dot com cost as high as size of virgin island, a dot org is taken, a dot net is premium but you need a top level domain for your business, here is list of 1500 plus top level domain. You can chose your own and start building your website. This list is sourced from ICANN.ORG AAA AARP ABARTH ABB ABBOTT ABBVIE ABC ABLE ABOGADO ABUDHABI AC ACADEMY ACCENTURE ACCOUNTANT ACCOUNTANTS ACO ACTOR AD ADAC ADS ADULT AE AEG AERO AETNA AF AFAMILYCOMPANY AFL AFRICA AG AGAKHAN AGENCY AI AIG AIGO AIRBUS AIRFORCE AIRTEL AKDN AL ALFAROMEO ALIBABA ALIPAY ALLFINANZ ALLSTATE ALLY ALSACE ALSTOM AM AMERICANEXPRESS AMERICANFAMILY AMEX AMFAM AMICA AMSTERDAM ANALYTICS ANDROID ANQUAN ANZ AO AOL APARTMENTS APP APPLE AQ AQUARELLE AR ARAB ARAMCO ARCHI ARMY ARPA ART ARTE AS ASDA ASIA ASSOCIATES AT ATHLETA ATTORNEY AU AUCTION AUDI AUDIBLE AUDIO AUSPOST AUTHOR AUTO AUTOS AVIANCA AW AWS AX AXA AZ AZURE BA BABY