Webmasters Tips - General Business Tips
Helping Create the Next Great Idea
Some people have talent in research, marketing, and product development. But for those who do not, or who are not in a position to use those skills, what can be done when one thinks up a new product idea? Is it possible for a person to convince a company or organization to develop or improve products? Quite possibly.
However, it is difficult to find a way to do this. It is probably best to avoid internet petitions when advocating one's ideas. A few petitions have earned respect, but even well written petitions often go ignored. Consider instead writing a professional quality letter. Address a company or organization and state the idea. Explain why that company should create or improve a product. Mention why it might be beneficial and profitable. Finally, avoid appearing too shy or too forceful. In doing these things, one will not merely advocate ideas, but one will earn respect. Copyright © 2000 - 2006 by [Webcraft.ws]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 19 Sep 2006 12:03:15 +0200 . | |  |  |  |  | Back Office Webcraft.ws - #9 - Which Ads Work and Which Ones Don't: | |  | .htm) |  | | Construction | Promotion | Training | Back Office |  |  | "Half of all advertising money is wasted. The only problem is we can't figure out which half!" |    | It's often true. Tracking your advertising is an excellent way to discover which ads work and which ones don't. There are ways of tracking your advertising and marketing efforts to allow you some feedback on their successfulness. Below is a list of ideas that will help you receive information to determine if an ad or line of marketing is working.
1. ASK! It's that simple. When a customer comes into your store, or e-mails you with a question, ask how they heard about your business. Take notes. After a month, tally up the totals and I bet they'll surprise you.
2. Offer A Discount. I'm sure you've heard radio advertisements that announce, "Tell us you heard it on Good hope radio and we'll give you R5.00 off!" That discount is not just due to the kindness of the business owner - it's an effort to get customers to let them know their advertising is working.
3. Mark Your Coupons. Whether you print them in the paper, distribute them via direct mail or provide them on your web site, marking your coupons is a super way to track the results. Simply put some sort of "key" in one of the bottom corners… one key for each newspaper, mailing, etc. The key could be a number (which you've corresponded to that paper, etc.) When the coupon is returned, tally up the totals for each paper and find out quickly which ones work better for you.
4. Separate e-mail Addresses. If I have people responding to several offerings posted on various sites, I assign them each their own e-mail address. For example, I have a newsletter that customers can subscribe to. If I post an announcement about my newsletter on a Web site, I'll ask the visitors to subscribe by sending an e-mail to marketingwords@e-mail.com. If I print an article in the local paper and mention my newsletter, I'll ask those subscribers to e-mail me at karon@e-mail.com. Get the point? That way I know, based on which e-mail address they use, where they found out about my newsletter. (By the way, I love to use the freebie e-mail accounts for this. It doesn't cost anything and I don't tie up my other addresses.)
These are just a few ways of tracking. I'm sure by now the juices are flowing and you can come up with many more ideas of your own! Happy Tracking! If you have any questions or comments please call me on 0720390184 or e-mail me on webmaster@webcraft.ws. Good luck and have fun searching. 
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