In today’s fast-paced business environment, success hinges on adaptability, innovation, and effective communication. This edition of Business in Action is designed to equip you with ways to excel in these areas by offering guides to innovative collaboration tools, crafting effective email campaigns for converting leads, seizing opportunities in a market shift, and building a solid website to boost your online presence.
If you’re looking to enhance communication in your workplace, exploring digital solutions can transform how your team collaborates and achieves goals. The enclosed article breaks down four platforms to consider that may just improve productivity and foster a more connected workforce.
Marketing is the lifeblood of business, and emails are a critical yet tricky component of this tool. This in-depth look at crafting compelling email campaigns offers insights into creating enticing subject lines, intriguing visuals, and engaging content that resonate with your audience and convert leads and past clients into loyal customers.
With the business landscape constantly evolving, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the changes. Instead, it's up to you as your company's leader to find ways to navigate these market shifts. Inside, you'll discover how to stay positive, turn challenges into opportunities, and position your business for long-term success.
In this digital age, an organization's website is often the first impression customers get of its brand and offerings. This article explores the essential steps to building a successful one, from choosing the domain name to developing a good user experience to boosting search engine optimization. With the tips inside, you can create an online platform that strengthens your brand and drives sales for your business.
Here’s to applying valuable insights and inspiration to achieve your goals. As always, it’s a pleasure to send you this magazine.
Communication is the foundation of effective teamwork. Open, accessible, and simple messaging empowers you to share ideas with your employees, loop everyone in on important updates, and execute game-changing strategies. Whether you lead an established business or are building a crew for a forthcoming venture, it’s crucial to set up technology that allows for simple workplace collaboration—especially if you direct remote or hybrid teams. Here are some of the best platforms to consider implementing in your business.
This option has surged in popularity in recent years due to its powerful tools that compile messaging, file sharing, and more into one app. Slack’s instant messaging enables faster conversation, and its compatibility with third-party programs, including Google Drive, Microsoft Outlook, and Zoom, allows coworkers to seamlessly tackle projects together. In fact, 85 percent of users believe the platform has improved their communication, and 88 percent feel more connected with their coworkers.
Possibly the greatest aspect of Slack, though, is its channels, or dedicated chat spaces. Through this feature, you can segment conversations by topic or task, creating public ones for general access and private ones for secure discussions. Furthermore, channels allow you to fully leverage Slack’s team-building potential; for example, you can set up a #suggestion-box thread for employees to submit workplace feedback or an entertainment-centered space like #movies or #random for casual chatter, icebreaker questions, or trivia games.
Utilizing Slack could greatly enhance your business communication by inviting open discussion, enabling real-time cooperation, and building workplace bonds, leading to increased productivity and a connected culture. Best of all, it offers many of these features for free—though upgrading your membership certainly yields greater benefits, including a built-in employee directory and unlimited messaging history to support a large team.
A staple of many businesses, this comprehensive suite of programs integrates email, chat, document sharing, and other collaboration features into one seamless system. One of Microsoft 365’s most popular offerings, Outlook, is a secure email platform with calendar-planning elements that allow you to arrange meetings and view your coworkers’ availability. Teams, meanwhile, is a hub for instant messaging, videoconferencing, and more. And OneDrive and SharePoint, two cloud storage apps, allow for secure, accessible document management to facilitate productivity among multiple users. Even better, all these apps are cross-compatible; for example, scheduling a meeting in Teams will send each participant an email update in Outlook.
Though using Microsoft 365 to its fullest may require your team members to bookmark numerous websites or install multiple apps, it’s an excellent platform for staying connected due to its versatile services that marry perfectly with one another. As for its cost, the basic plans are surprisingly affordable, requiring only a small price per user. Or upgrade to a Business Premium version for video-editing tools, additional apps, enhanced security, and more, all of which could make it a worthwhile investment.
Though it’s technically designed for project management, Trello is chock-full of features that make it an effective collaboration service in its own right. This versatile and user-friendly tool streamlines workflows on an intuitive, clean interface that divides communication into boards, checklists, and cards. Each of these equips your team to manage shared tasks efficiently, allowing them to visibly make changes and leave feedback and even tag people to ensure that they stay looped into updates. Working in this way promotes transparency, accountability, and clarity on important projects and can minimize the need to hold time-consuming meetings and check-ins, granting your employees dedicated solo time for focused productivity.
While Trello doesn’t include a private, one-on-one chat feature, it easily integrates with instant-messaging platforms like Slack as well as scheduling technology like Google Calendar, which your crew can utilize to create a comprehensive communication experience. Overall, Trello’s flexibility, real-time collaboration, and integrations make it an invaluable tool for sustaining daily discussion and efficiency in your business. You can sign up for the free version or invest in a paid membership that offers more for those managing larger organizations or complex projects.
Due to the ubiquity of smartphones, text messages and phone calls may be the most effective forms of communication, especially for businesses whose employees are frequently on the go. However, SMS is rife with challenges, including poor security and lack of privacy. There are even potential legal limitations that could prevent you from sharing your team members’ phone numbers in a professional directory.
For these and other hindrances, iPlum offers a solution: messaging that feels like texting and calling, but better. This is one of the highest-rated mobile apps out there thanks to its ability to conveniently mimic ordinary phone service. iPlum allows your employees to use a separate phone number from their private one—no additional phone plan needed. They can close the app when their workday ends, and none of their workplace contacts can disturb them. The app also allows you to message your employees, clients, and business partners or even hold group phone calls without revealing anyone’s private contact info.
While iPlum offers benefits for any business, it’s many security features make it ideal for those in industries requiring strict confidentiality: it’s HIPAA-compliant for medical organizations, adheres to privacy strictures for legal-industry workers, and allows service-based entrepreneurs to converse conveniently yet confidentially as they pursue leads. There are three tiered plans that scale up in price for access to additional perks, such as convenient text-to-email services and access to a toll-free phone number.
While each of these platforms offers plentiful communication features, keep in mind that they may work best when combined with other methods so you and your team can employ multiple modes of messaging, including email, file-sharing platforms, and digital workspaces. In turn, you can share ideas faster, streamline productivity, and accelerate toward your overarching business goals at extraordinary rates.
TAKE ACTION:
Identify and adopt the business communication platforms that are ideal for your business, and invite your team aboard to begin collaborating faster.
Imagine strolling into a busy market bursting with booths of various goods. Every seller immediately begins yelling for your attention, fighting for a fraction of your time and money. The chaos leaves you spinning in circles, uncertain of who to listen to, and you end up walking out with nothing.
This is the equivalent to the email marketing scene of today—customers open their inboxes, see a slew of emails, and ultimately skim them without opening any. For businesses, separating from all this noise and leaving a lasting impact on potential clients may seem like an impossible feat, but it can be done. The secret is to create interesting emails that resonate, converting recipients into devoted customers for many years to come.
While one-size-fits-all emails may seem easy and universal, they run the danger of being too impersonal. In turn, your audience may not feel cared for and end up looking elsewhere for the services you provide. This is why it’s imperative to determine who exactly you’re trying to reach and what their wants and needs are. Only then can you tailor your marketing to demonstrate how your offerings are uniquely suited to help fix their specific pain points.
A key to this is segmentation: dividing your email list into focused groups. This lets you narrow your messaging even further to more effectively connect with pockets of your audience. For example, you could send customized greetings or sales to those in specific age groups or locations or segment emails based on past purchases; if records show certain customers love your trekking gear, craft a campaign for them highlighting your most recent collection of performance clothes and sturdy bags. Alternatively, for those who haven’t interacted with your brand in months, a focused reactivation campaign offering exclusive discounts or early access to new products might pique their interest once more.
The effectiveness of this strategy cannot be overlooked. The Direct Marketing Association discovered that compared to nonsegmented blasts, segmented email campaigns can result in a 760 percent increase in revenue. Just make sure to track your metrics—if you want to continue to see high engagement and conversions, you need to routinely spend time reassessing your audience and modifying your messaging to keep up with their shifting behaviors and desires.
Oftentimes, the difference between an opened email and a deleted one is the subject line. Consider it the juicy opening hook that pulls in your recipient. Here are some best practices to consider when crafting yours to ensure that they are effectively attention-grabbing.
Keep it brief
As with anything online, brevity is key; keep your subject lines short and straightforward, ideally less than fifty characters. Retention Science found that ones between six and ten words received the highest open rates, proving that shorter ones work best.
Get straight to the point
While being brief, give a preview of the email’s contents. Is it highlighting a flash sale, a brand-new product release, or a provocative industry analysis? Try “Everything Half Off Today,” “Our Latest Tech Is Finally Here,” or “Is This Common Mistake Costing You Money?” Make the value of your email immediately clear, and your recipients will be more intrigued to check it out.
Personalize your message
Think about a time when you received a letter in the mail meant for “Dear Valued Customer.” Really made you feel valued, right? Conversely, personalization adds a human touch that strengthens the bond between business and customer. Make the recipient feel relevant by using their name or referencing their past buying behavior. For example, you could use “Hi [Name], your exclusive summer sale starts now!” or “We noted you enjoyed X—why not try Y?” Many email marketing systems even have features that allow first names to be automatically inserted—a quick yet effective approach to adding a personal touch.
Once your recipients reach the bottom of the email, they should see a CTA clearly telling them what they should do next. Keep it simple, focused, and actionable, using a strong verb phrase like “Shop Now” or “Download Here” and steering clear of vague verbiage. Consider the directive “Download Our Free Guide to Summer Hiking Essentials.” It’s straightforward yet intriguing, telling people exactly what to do and what they’ll get as a result. In addition, make sure your CTA is as visually attractive as possible; you can make it stick out among the email body by using opposing colors and a simple button.
Successful email marketing relies heavily on engagement, and eye-catching graphics are essential to encouraging it. Keep these visuals pleasing and pertinent, and put them together in a neat and professional way; a messy design will be distracting and lessen your message. And be sure to factor in mobile responsiveness—more than half of emails sent are opened on mobile devices. Always preview yours before they send to see how they will look on various screen sizes.
Creating effective marketing emails calls for strategic thinking, attention to detail, and an artistic touch. By following these guidelines, you can improve your strategy and turn your campaigns into a potent tool that converts leads into customers.
TAKE ACTION:
Evaluate your current email marketing strategy, and identify which areas (segmentation, subject lines, CTAs, or design) could use improvement.
If anything has been made clear over the past several years, it’s that market shifts will happen—including major, fundamental ones. The most recent include job markets turning more worker centric, companies becoming more mission focused, interest rates skyrocketing, and real estate practices changing. But while these shifts may seem overwhelming, they can actually be good for your business.
Let me explain.
Significant change, for better or for worse, forces us to react. We’re made to choose between battening down the hatches and taking shelter during a market tsunami or being ahead of it and riding it to our own success. Here’s how you can thrive rather than just survive when such a shift comes your way.
In business, market changes often cause panic or confusion, which, in turn, leads to either all-out chaos or freezing up. As a leader, you need to keep your cool and remain positive when others don’t; choose optimism, and your team will follow your lead. In addition, staying even-keeled will make you better prepared to see outside the box, allowing you to embrace the change for the opportunity it can be and position your company for greater gains.
So what’s the key to staying upbeat? It’s pretty simple: continue to focus on growth, and persistently take action. Too often, people suffer paralysis by analysis—getting so caught up in assessing a situation and overthinking their options that they wind up doing nothing at all. But much like how many top investors seek to buy stocks in a down financial market, you can go all in during a market shift and zig when everyone else zags.
For example, in previous electronics evolutions, so many companies flying under the radar won because they saw potential in the situation and discovered how their company could take advantage. After all, iPod batteries need to be replaced, 3D printers need core components to be manufactured, and electric vehicles need charging stations. In the face of shifting winds in your own niche, brainstorm to determine if similar prospects are available for your business.
Once you’ve clarified your vision, you need to determine how, exactly, you’ll go about tackling it. This requires being realistic; there’s a difference between being a wise optimist and a blind optimist. Personally, I’m a natural optimist and choose to start every day with immense positivity, but that in itself won’t magically lead to double-digit growth for my business. The key is to focus on sharpening your skills whenever there’s a market shift, primarily by educating yourself as much as possible. I can’t overstate this enough: confidence will lead people to believe in you and your vision, and that confidence will come from knowing you’ve done your homework.
As Gary Keller says, the best place to lead with is revenue. Review your numbers, and be super data driven, both about your company and the changing market. Then double down on what works for your marketing and client experience, casting a narrow, focused net instead of a wide one (while also identifying where you might be better off pivoting). Follow that up with digging deep into your communication, including your messaging to both your clients and your team, pinpointing how information should be conveyed in this new reality. And make sure to keep up with industry changes as they’re happening, always assessing how they’ll impact your customers.
Any time something big happens, people start talking in response, particularly about how it will affect them. So it’s vital for you to take control of the narrative in a shifting market as soon and as often as possible by communicating with your team, your clients, and even the public about the situation. By doing so, you can position yourself as a trusted expert who is there for them in times of trouble, ensuring that you’ll be remembered both during the chaos and after the dust settles. This can lead to even stronger professional relationships and opportunities for more leads.
Finally, remember that you don’t need to do this alone—seriously. I’ve always said that one of the best ways to keep a growth mindset, especially in a changing market, is to step outside your own perspective to seek that of others. Lean on your executive team for ideas about your specific business, or even attend an event such as an industry conference or a mastermind meeting to see if you can gain any fresh insights into current events. It’s amazing how much this can get you jacked up about the possibilities—not only to learn and improve yourself but also to lead your company through a major shift.
Just because you encounter turbulent corporate seas doesn’t mean your company will be blown completely off course. As captain of your ship, you simply need to sharpen your focus, show a steady hand, and do some wise course corrections. In turn, you can keep everyone moving forward until you once again see blue skies ahead.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Luke Acree is an authority on leadership, a lead-generation specialist, and a referral expert who has helped more than 100,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their companies. He hosts Stay Paid, a sales and marketing podcast, and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Foundr.com.
TAKE ACTION:
Apply these pointers to any current market shifts you’re experiencing, or keep them top of mind to be better prepared for future ones.
In today’s hyperconnected world, a website is a necessity rather than a luxury for small businesses. This digital page is your online ambassador, a vital tool for enhancing brand awareness and correspondence with potential clients. But given the abundance of contradicting instructions available, creating a website from scratch can seem like an overwhelming chore. While you can certainly hire an expert service or freelancer to tackle the task for you, the process may be a lot simpler than you think. Follow this guide to build a site that not only looks attractive but also actively helps you reach your company’s objectives.
First, consider the domain name of your website, which is essentially your online address. Clarity and memorability are vital; it should be simple to spell and speak and reflect your company name, even if you can’t match it exactly. For instance, if your business is called Buy Insurance Today, “insurancetoday.com” could be an effective option. Also, decide on which extension you’d like—you could go with the classic “.com” or opt for something industry specific like “.shop” or “.cafe” for a more focused approach. Just keep in mind that a new website is built every three seconds, so there is no time to waste when choosing your domain name.
Setting up web hosting is another crucial initial step; it’s how you will store your website’s data and render it visible and accessible on the internet. For many small businesses, a shared hosting plan offers a reasonably priced solution. This is when multiple websites share the same operating system, software, and network connection but still have their own storage space, memory, and processing power. You can then upgrade to greater resources and customized choices from dedicated hosting plans as your budget expands.
Many platforms allow you to get both a domain name and web hosting at once. Popular registrars include Namecheap, a cost-effective option, and GoDaddy, which offers a large database.
The next step is to select the platform you want to use to create your website. Also known as content management systems (CMS), these builders offer simple tools, such as drag-and-drop interfaces and predesigned templates, that make website construction easy even for those who have zero coding knowledge. With a CMS, you can quickly create and edit different pages, enhance your site’s mobile friendliness, and add features like appointment booking and social media buttons. Certain plugins may come with a steeper learning curve or pricier subscription, but they can boost your ability to tailor your website even further.
When weighing your options, take into account your budget, technical ability, and desired degree of customization. Some top ones to consider are WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace. Many also offer free trials, allowing you to try several to find the one that feels most suitable for your needs.
First impressions are make or break, so the design of your website will need to grab your customers’ attention from the get-go and keep them interested. One of the most important aspects to consider is user experience (UX); according to a study by Gomez, 88 percent of users are less likely to return to a website after having a bad UX. To prevent this, your website should be speedy, have clear menus and easy-to-navigate page layouts, and include pages that provide more information on your brand.
In addition, the design should capture your brand’s unique identity. Besides featuring your logo prominently in the masthead, use fonts and colors that are in line with all your other marketing materials. And given that more than 60 percent of all website traffic is from cell phones, mobile responsiveness is absolutely necessary. Make sure your website runs flawlessly on several screen sizes by employing strategies such as using a mobile-friendly theme and combining files where possible.
The heart and soul of your online presence is your website’s content. Here is where you will present your goods or services and narrate your brand’s story. It’s crucial to allow your natural personality to show so you can establish a human connection with your customers. To start, create a compelling “About Us” page that shares your company’s history, stresses your principles, and introduces your team. You could also consider running a blog to share interesting and educational material that speaks to your target audience’s problems, which will help position you as a thought leader in your field and draw in those using search engines. And don’t forget to include CTAs on your website to direct guests toward purchasing what your business has to offer.
Even if your website is easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, and engaging, it will draw little business if you can’t get it in front of prospective visitors. Enter SEO: this powerful tool can help ensure that your website is more discoverable by getting it to rank higher in search results. To achieve this, determine pertinent keywords your target audience will most likely search for by using a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner. Then simply add these words to your page names and meta descriptions—short snippets shown in search results.
Improving your SEO position will require going through this process routinely since the trending words and searches will change over time. In addition, Google gives mobile-friendly sites top importance in search results, giving another reason to prioritize mobile UX when building yours. Although SEO is a continuous effort, following these fundamental guidelines will help your website be more visible and draw natural traffic from possible customers.
Congratulations! You’ve started your website, a clear sign of your entrepreneurial energy. But the journey doesn’t stop here; online success is dependent upon constant improvement. To make sure your website remains competitive, stay updated on the newest trends in website design and SEO best practices. By putting in the proper time and effort, you can create a digital environment that not only reflects your brand but also attracts customers while growing your company to new heights.
TAKE ACTION:
Take the first steps toward building your website by brainstorming domain names and initiating a free CMS trial to start playing around with its features.
