We’re delighted to announce that Nick Hewer, former right-hand man to Alan Sugar and highly successful businessman is set to join Bark.com on Tuesday, October 6th, for a day of expert advice and insight into SME success.
Nick and Bark.com’s founders
After 10 years on The Apprentice, Nick retired from the showat the end of the last season, and is now working as a consultant for a number of small businesses as he continues to make his mark on the UK’s entrepreneurial scene (as well as, of course, presenting Countdown!).
He’s been working with Bark.com since our inception (here’s him explaining how Bark works back in March) and as part of our partnership, next Tuesday, Nick will be taking part in a live Q&A session on via the @barkteam twitter page, giving budding entrepreneurs and small business owners the chance to have their business queries answered by the man himself.
The start of a great partnership!
Have a burning question? Let us know using the #AskNick hashtag and we’ll do our best to go through as many as we can. Or, if you just happy to sit back and absorb the insights, tune in from 1-2pm.
If you can’t make it though, not to worry – we’ll also be sharing Nick’s top tips for SMEs on our YouTube channel and via our blog, so watch this space.
We are surrounded by media. From when we sit at the bus stop in the morning to when we chill out in front of the TV in the evening, we are constantly targeted by large companies and brands who are desperate to gain our attention. This has become increasingly prevalent in the age of social media, which has provided another avenue from which brands can target us, even drilling down into our demographics and interests. With that in mind, small business owners now need to make sure that they are developing an online presence, to make them stand out in industries that are already heavily saturated.
It’s common knowledge that online presence means brand awareness. Nowadays, how you present your brand online is similar to meeting a customer for the first time. Your online brand is essentially what people think of you when you are not available. Online presence is often a test of credibility for many technologically savvy consumers, who would rather connect with businesses online first before making a purchasing decision. This poses an opportunity to impress and capture the attention of potential customers. These days the first port of call when looking for information about a product or a service is to ‘Google’ it, meaning online presence is crucial if you want to make your business a successful one.
So how can you become a major player in this competitive age? Here are 5 ways to effectively maximise your online presence:
Branding
No matter how big or small your company is – branding matters. From word go a clear and consistent branding strategy should be developed, which can be pumped across all online channels to create brand recognition. According to the founder of The NY Brand Lb, Mary Van de Wiel, “without a brand you ultimately lack an identity, a presence – and a purpose.” You should think about your tone of voice and your values, as well as your visual aesthetic. Not particularly creative? Don’t know where to start? Then maybe you should find a graphic designer who can help you pinpoint what your business is about in a visually appealing way.
Shout loud about your brand
Website Design and Development
You never know who will be knocking on your virtual door at any time of the day or night – so make sure your home on the Internet is kitted out for new visitors! Creating and more importantly maintaining a website is a useful tool for every business. Here, you can shout loud about your portfolio of work and maybe even offer your tuppence-worth via a company blog. Your website needs to be functional and user friendly, and this is where a professional with experience in website design and development may come in handy! Once you find the right web developer, start thinking about optimising your website. This will make sure that your website performs well on search engines – just like the aforementioned Google! Be front and centre of the online world, and drive traffic to your website with the help of an SEO professional.
Build a user-friendly website!
Social Media
You’ve developed your brand, and mastered your website. But how can you enhance the visibility of your brand even further? The key is to make sure you are on social media – which is both effective and cost effective. Social media not only helps you to grow your customer base by reaching a wider audience, it also helps you to promote brand recognition and loyalty. Find a social media marketer who can help you maximise channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Although not the most widely used social network, G+ should also be maximised. Effective use of G+ can determine your inclusion and ranking in the carousel of businesses that appear at the top of the Google search results. As well as aiding your SEO, there are also advanced features available to businesses using G+. Check out G+ for yourself and add Bark.com to your circles!
If you’re feeling particularly competitive, you might want to also get set up on new and emerging social networks like Snapchat and Periscope. The opportunities are endless!
Engage with your customers via social media
Email Marketing
In this day and age, almost everyone has an online presence in some form, even if it is just an email address. Email marketing is a sure way to stay on the radar of potential customers, and it can definitely allow you to establish profitable relationships in the long term. This is to be used wisely, and should not be spam abuse. Instead your emails should offer something to the consumer – be it special offers, industry news or company updates. Feeling a little confused? Then find an email marketer to help you get the job done.
Build a targeted email marketing campaign
Online Directories
Regardless of how strong your online presence is, you won’t be able to sit back, relax and let the cash flow in. You need to get ahead of your competitors, who are battling against you with extensive advertising budgets. If a customer can’t find you when they are searching for a product or a service, then you simply won’t get the business. Joining an online directory like our very own Bark.com ensures that you are placed directly in front of the right people, often for a very minimal spend. No matter what service you provide, learn more about joining Bark by visiting our Pro-Centre.
Incorporating a targeted email marketing campaign with your slick new branding, user-friendly website and engaging social media strategy will set your small business on a path to success, all with the added help from an online directory like Bark.com!
Do you have any other tips for small business owners? Let us know!
For more Bark.com tips and insights, why not check out our otherblogs?
After close to a year-long wait from beta to launch, Windows 10 was released to the public last week amid much anticipation. Three years on from Windows’ last major operating system launch, Windows 8 in 2012 that received mixed reviews at best, Windows 10 has so far been praised for its more familiar interface and ease of use.
If you’re a devout Windows user, an upgrade is probably a no-brainer; it’s free to download, as long as you do so within the first year of its launch. For non-Windows users, the new operating system is due out at the end of August, and an as-yet-confirmed price will be attached.
So, if you’re still undecided about whether or not to take the plunge and upgrade, here’s five features that may help you make up your mind:
1. Gain the Edge
Being frank, it’s about time Microsoft decided to ditch Internet Explorer and adopt a new web browser. Having once enjoyed a virtual monopoly when it came to web browsing, the rise of the likes of Google Chrome, Firefox and Mozilla left Explorer looking like that annoying person who refuses to leave the party.
Edge is Microsoft’s fresh attempt to take on the might of Chrome and Firefox, and so far, things are looking positive. With the help of Cortana, your own virtual personal assistant (we explain further down), Edge allows us to ‘ditch the distractions’ and ‘do-more faster’.
A new rendering engine means Edge is much faster and more responsive than its predecessor and in terms of security, Microsoft has pulled out all the stops to ensure we don’t fall victim to hackers and other nefarious cyber-threats.
What does this all mean in comparison to Chrome, Firefox et al? It seems to be a case of ‘close, but no cigar’ for Edge. Yes, it’s a massive improvement on the dinosaur that is Internet Explorer, but it still lags somewhat behind the leading browsing stalwarts; Chrome is still probably the best performing browser currently out there.
Trying to gain an Edge on Chrome and Firefox.
2. ‘Appy Days
One of the major selling points of Windows 10 is the universal app feature. Put simply, Windows Apps will now work on any Windows 10-supported platform, be it your PC, tablet, smartphone or even your Xbox One. This could be a major pull for developers, who can know create a one-size fits all app any machine, as opposed to having to re-write them for each platform, like the bad old days.
The hope for Microsoft is that this move will help to close the app-gap on Google Play and the Apple Store, the mammoths of the industry. For the typical user, convenience is the keyword here. That one change you forgot to make to that presentation on your PC earlier this morning can now be made from your phone on the way to the meeting, or that photo you took with your mates earlier today will be waiting for you on your Microsoft Surface tablet when you get home. Yes, Google Documents and Apple Continuity offers the same service, but Microsoft may have stolen a march with its ease of use.
Windows Apps will now work on any Windows 10-supported platform.
3. Hey Cortana
How rude of us; here we are explaining the features of Windows 10 and we haven’t even introduced you to Cortana yet… Your own personal assistant, Cortana will never leave your side for as long as you use Windows 10. Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Now, may be familiar to Windows Phone users, but this marks her debut on PCs and tablets. Simply stating: ‘Hey Cortana’ will awaken your digital assistant, and she will provide you with anything from leading news stories to weather updates. Just don’t expect her to make the coffee…
The more you use Microsoft 10, the better Cortana gets to know you and the more refined and personal information she can offer you. This can be very beneficial on Edge, as Cortana will monitor your browsing habits to make researching quicker and seamless. Want directions to that new restaurant in town? Just ask Cortana. Writing a university essay and struggling to comprehend that ridiculous-sounding term? Don’t fret, Cortana will explain all.
A major reason for the launch of Windows 8 falling like a lead balloon back in 2012 was the dismantling of the Start screen. Instead, Microsoft opted to ‘modernise’ and use tiles instead, which only served to bamboozle its audience. Windows 10 sees the return of the popular start menu.
Tiles still exist in Windows 10, but they’re more of an accompaniment rather than the main event. Tiles can be organised into different groups, so your business-related folders and programs can sit together, or all of your gaming features can be found in one neat place. Put short, it’s a world away from the headache of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 and a successful attempt at going back to basics.
As simple as it sounds, the return of the Start button might just be the clincher to you deciding to download Windows 10.
Windows 10 sees the return of the Start menu
5. Down to Business
Microsoft has seemingly gone to great lengths to win over businesses who were left disappointed with the complicated Windows 8. One failure of that operating system was the lack of businesses that made the switch; most were more inclined to stick with Windows 7.
Should your business make the switch to Windows 10? Early signs suggest you should. Windows 10 is smarter and safer than its predecessors. As we mentioned earlier, the new operating system is hot on making the service as secure as possible. Feature such as Microsoft Hello will require fingerprint readers and infrared cameras in order to authenticate devices. In terms of productivity, Universal Apps encourages businesses to store apps of interest in one area, allowing easy access for your employees, whilst work-mates can share content with each other through peer-to-peer delivery.
What’s more, gone are the days of waiting years for upgrades to your system. Instead, Windows 10 will offer regular updates to ensure your system is working at full capacity.
If all of this has gone over your head, why not grab some advice from an expert?Even better, knowledge is power
