Business

There are thousands of blogs on the internet with the intent to monetize, but most, unfortunately, fail to do so.  After some fruitless attempts, a lot of content writers or blog owners would even give up and abandon the site altogether.

However, knowing some of the most common pitfalls of any daunting task is always helpful, and might save a lot of troubles, time, and energy. Learning from the mistakes of others takes you one step closer to success. So, if you are a blogger or would like to be one, here are some must-avoid mistakes when trying to monetize a blog:

Producing Mediocre Blog Content

In many cases, the blog’s content reflects the quality of the product or service offered (or promoted). You cannot expect your customers to buy your product or believe in your service if they read low-quality, low-value, rehashed information. Make sure your content is cutting-edge, original, informative and engaging.

Not Knowing Your Audience

Do you know what your readers are looking for? Do you know what they want? Have you done your research? If you are clueless about these things, you’ll end up posting random blog posts completely unrelated to your perceived branding, which naturally might affect the amount of traffic and conversions you’ll generate in the long-run. This will probably leave your readers confused and frustrated, and you can’t blame them if they click away from your site before they even finish reading.

Failing to Engage with Them

Being distant and disengaged is one of the most severe mistakes any salesperson can ever commit.  And it’s the same case with selling through content.

Get your reader’s attention; build your connection. Add a personal touch, give your own voice (and opinion if needed) to your content and engage your audience. Make them feel that you are right in front of them, that you know just exactly what they need, and you are the right person to provide it to them.

Not Focusing on Your Monetizing Strategy

There are multiple ways to monetize a blog.  Being familiar with them is fine and dandy, but some bloggers have this habit of doing too much trial and error, not sticking to one or very few successful strategies or vehicles, and ends up wasting a lot of valuable resources, time, and energy.

As a blog or site owners, you need to concentrate on those that work for you. For example, you can add banner advertisements of different products or services related to your blog’s niche. Keep in mind not to overdo it as you might turn-off your readers instead.

Thinking You Can Do It Alone

When it comes to growing any business, no man is an island.

After you’ve covered all your bases, grown your audience and things are starting to run more smoothly, you might want to consider getting some help. This could be in different forms:

• Getting a virtual assistant to manage your blog or content contributors to provide quality blog posts. Always keep in mind that you have to take care of your brand reputation as well.
• Finding mentors or getting professional assistance from other marketers to help you promote your site or monetize your blog. Always get reliable promotional services or sources, like the BannerBit marketplace for your banner ads, for example.

There are other common mistakes that you may come across with. But if you’ll address the concerns mentioned above, that would have solved most other hurdles. Be familiar with the different facets of these weaknesses, deal with them, and you’ll surely be on the road to success.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

 

Success in business often begins with how much and how well your consumers know your company. If a company is relatively unknown, it is hard for potential customers to trust in the products or services it offers. Customers tend to gravitate towards brands that are familiar and readily accessible to them. It is therefore essential for new companies to join trade shows and exhibits and get the attention of their target audience.

Exhibits and trade shows provide an excellent avenue to network with suppliers and attract potential customers. Many start-up companies began by exhibiting at trade shows to get the attention of influencers and media personalities. Similarly, a small business can receive useful feedback and gain exposure through online posts and updates related to the event. But to ensure that you get the most out of participating in a trade show, keep in mind the following essential marketing tips.

Attracting attention

Attendees will not visit your booth if it is empty. You need to have a variety of marketing materials such as promotional products, a display stand or several banners, as well as other tools to engage with customers. Although it is best to have a unique design to create an impact, you need to keep the concept simple and professional. By using a combination of appealing materials, eye-catching signs, and banners, you will likely increase foot traffic in your booth.

Conduct research

Although most of the time spent in planning for a trade show revolves around designing a booth, it is also crucial to begin the planning process by conducting research. The first thing that you need to consider is choosing the right trade show to participate in. Not all trade shows offer the same benefits for your business. Check the demographics of the expected attendees and determine whether it is the best event to reach a broad customer base and network with other companies.

Set goals and objectives for your business

Before the event begins, conduct a meeting with your staff to set specific and actionable goals they need to achieve during the event. These goals need to be SMART to ensure that you can effectively measure your marketing efforts.

Invest in publicity

There are many ways you can advertise that your company is participating in a trade show. One of the most efficient is through social media. If you want a more personal approach, you can send a letter to verified attendees. You can also send email announcements, blog updates, post a newsletter, and announce the event on your company website. If you are planning to host demonstrations or promotional contests, make sure to advertise this as well to attract the attention of customers.

Promotions and contests

Holding contests during a trade show is a popular method of attracting attendees to visit your booth. You can take this opportunity to ask attendees to participate in a game by filling out a survey. The contest prize needs to be relevant to the products and services your company sells such as a gift box containing samples of your best-selling products.

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A company van is part of the assets of your company and should be treated as one. But as assets tend to depreciate over time, you need to be able to maintain the condition of your van in order to preserve its value. The following smart suggestions will help you maintain the value of your company van. Should you decide to sell in the future, you will get a good deal for your vehicle.

1. Park right

Cosmetic damage can significantly reduce the value of your company van especially if untreated dents begin to rust. You don’t want to forced to spend money if you want to maintain its value. If you park your company van on the streets, careless drivers can cause scratches and dents on the bodywork. This will not help the value of your van, and will also affect the image of your business.

To avoid scratches and dents, make sure your company van is properly parked, preferably in a garage, or where it is not accessible to passing cars. Asides from helping you avoid damage, parking properly in a garage may help you secure better lease deals in the future.

1. Stick to your maintenance schedule

Regularly maintaining your vehicle is another one to preserve its value in the long term. When you fail to stick to a recommended maintenance schedule, you run the risk of damaging your van and spending huge sums of money in future repairs.

Apart from preserving the value of your van, regular maintenance will help it to run better and last longer. If you plan to sell off your company van in the future, it is a good idea to keep a record of your van’s maintenance, as a full service history will help influence a buyer’s decision.

1. Insure your company van

When you insure your company van, you are securing it against anything that can go wrong, such as vehicle theft, accidents, a roadside breakdown, and a host of other issues, but in addition to all of these, insuring your van protects your business.

Potential buyers usually consider some factors when buying used vehicles, such as your maintenance routine, vehicle mileage, driving history, and insurance. How all these factors rank up will play a huge role in how much you can sell your used company van.

1. Fix mechanical issues immediately

Whether you use your company van regularly or once in a while, you will begin to notice signs of use after a while. Engine noises, undercarriage noises, and driving problems are clear signs that your van needs expert attention, and ignoring these signs is the fastest way to damage your van permanently.

Tell the driver to pay close attention to the sounds that come from the engine, undercarriage, and even interior of your company van. This way, you can preserve the value of your van, and make it last longer for company use.

1. Hire a good driver

No matter how well you maintain your van, if you hire an inexperienced or careless driver, it may not do much for the its long-term value.

A well-trained driver knows how to maintain a vehicle properly, what common issues to look out for, and how to avoid things that can damage the van. So, before handing over your company van to a driver, be sure that the individual meets the accepted requirements for driving company vehicles.

Final thoughts

Hopefully, the five suggestions above will help you get started with preserving the value of your company van. Remember always to follow the suggestions and recommendations of your van manufacturer, as they know best how to preserve and improve the value of their product.

 

Jacques Poujade is the Managing Partner at LendPlus, one of the major alternative lenders in the mortgage industry specializing in helping customers who are looking to buy their dream homes. With three decades in finance, real estate, and marketing, Poujade uses his skills, experiences, and knowledge to craft focused and strategic financial solutions for his clients.

Poujade earned his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Concordia University before moving on to complete his Masters at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. After graduation Poujade quickly rose up the ranks in the corporate world of finance and eventually landed into the role of Managing Partner at LendPlus. When Poujade is not working, he gives back to his community through Micah’s Way charity.

Recently, he sat down and shared with us information about good and bad debts and how debts can affect your chances for favorable mortgage rates.

What is Considered Good Debt?

Good debts are usually debts from expenses that are expected to bring in income or increase your net worth. These could be anything from loans for a college education, loans to finance your own business, or loans to buy a house or any other type of real estate as an investment. Student loans are a good example because unlike other types of debts, most student loan packages come with low-interest rates. Student loans are also taken out to pay for a college education which increases your opportunities for employment and promotion later in life.

What is Considered Bad Debt?

Start the next decade on a clean slate and pay off these debts in 2019! 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣ #financetips #debtfree #NewYearsResolutions https://t.co/fAvu9BfI3p pic.twitter.com/Y8UHOJS3ga

— Jacques Poujade (@PoujadeJacques) December 31, 2018

Bad debts are debts that are not expected to bring in any additional income anytime soon. These debts are often total liabilities such as spending on brand new cars, clothes, and other consumables. These items tend to depreciate quickly and often are worth lower than the borrowed amount by the time the debt is paid in full. Credit card debt is one of the worst examples of bad debts because this can come bundled with high interest rates.

Debt and Mortgage Consideration

Outstanding debts whether good or bad can affect your credit score and how high or low your mortgage rates are. This is the reason why you should be paying your debts off on time whether these are good or bad debts.

Lenders usually calculate your monthly debt to determine if you are qualified for a mortgage. This is done by reviewing your income and existing debts and comparing these to your house payments to see if you can pay on time. If you pay off your debts on a regular basis and you have a reliable, long-term regular source of income, you are more likely to have a favorable debt-to-income ratio–a figure that tells the lender how well you can manage debt and mortgage payments with the income you have.

If you can, pay off all your debts before taking on a new mortgage. Outstanding balances on your credit cards, for example, can leave you saddled with high interest rates that will get harder and harder to pay off once you take on a new mortgage. If not, make sure that payments are made on time. This is the only way to keep your debt payments manageable and ensure that your debt-to-income ratios are within range. These can help make you an ideal candidate for low rates when it’s time to apply for a new mortgage.

Connect with Jacques through social media at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacquesPoujade

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PoujadeJacques

Website: https://www.jacquespoujade.com

 

Getting a credit card can be hard for some, depending on their circumstances. What’s more, in India, credit cards have not gained as much traction as was expected due to the obstacles of long applications and credit score-related issues. To help circumvent this, there’s been a rise in “buy now, pay later” methods that are allowing people to get their loans while bypassing the usual hassles that come with applying for credit cards or loans.

The rise of the “buy now, pay later” digital loan companies have been assisted by their smart use of technology. With hundreds of millions of mobile and online users in India, by making their businesses internet and mobile-friendly, it’s easy for companies to reach people and for the people to get their loans. Let’s take a look at three Digital Credit companies that are on the rise in India!

ePayLater

Lauded as India’s 1^st Digital Credit Card, you can Shop Now, Pay Later with ePayLater instead of needing to worry about applying and qualifying for a physical credit card. By utilizing UPI as a payment method, you can basically buy from your favourite merchants and pay with it. And what’s more, like a credit card, you can even get cash back and reward points on purchases you make with ePayLater. Why need a credit card when you can have a mobile-friendly payment method that works just like one?

Quiklo

Quiklo is a unique one in that it focused on students. Before, getting student loans was not only tortuously inconvenient, but it was also hard to actually get the loans. What’s more, those that got the loans struggled with paying them back. So Quiklo thought up of a new way to ensure that their loans were going to the right students: They look at your school marks. If you’re a good student and you can prove that you are excellent at your studies, Quiklo will use it as a way to help determine if you qualify for a gadget loan.

ZestMoney

Utilizing EMI as their payment method, ZestMoney is another powerful way of paying for your things through your favourite online merchants. ZestMoney is known for its very high approval rates and zero pre-closure charges. And it is easy to apply. The least that they require is two of these three basic documents of identification: Your PAN card, Driving License, passport photo ID, 3-months of bank statements, or your Aadhaar card.

Conclusion

Getting credit or loans doesn’t have to be difficult any longer. Now, it is possible to get credit digitally, and it’s not that hard to get it either. With the rise of these digital “buy now, pay later” forms of payment, it’s likely that more will arise, and it will become even more widespread.

Remember that these are still credit loans and that they must be paid off. So long as you remain watchful of your usage and your payments, you can enjoy these digital credit methods just as much as you would a physical credit card or a traditional loan. The march of technology will continue to make things more convenient, such as with these, so be prepared!

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

If you’re in the process of choosing new team uniforms for your workplace, you may be interested checking out NNT Customised and continuing reading in order to discover why you should try designing your team uniforms yourself!

Why you should design your own team uniforms for the workplace:

1. So that you’ll be able to design uniforms that are practical for your employee’s roles

One reason why it’s a great idea to invest a bit of time into designing custom uniforms for your employees is that you’ll be able to choose individual pieces of clothing for your employees’ uniforms which will suit your employee’s roles.

As an example, if your team members work in customer service you may want to choose polo shirts for your team members uniform. Whilst if your team members attend client meetings on a regular basis, you may want to opt for tidy button shirts, for your team uniforms.

2. Your team members will be easily identifiable

Another reason why it’s a great idea to design team uniforms for your workplace is so that your team members will be easily recognizable. Which is great as visitors to your workplace such as clients and customers will be able to instantly identify all of your team members. Which is particularly handy if your team works in retail or provides a particular set of services.

3. You’ll be able to design uniforms which incorporate your team member’s input

Instead of simply selecting generic items for your team’s uniforms, it’s a great idea to talk to your team members to see what type of pieces they would like incorporated into your team uniform. As your team members are the individuals who will wear your team uniforms on a daily basis and who should have input into the team uniforms which you choose.

As an example, your team members may be able to tell you what types of fabrics they think your team uniforms should be made out of.

4. You’ll able to personalize your team member’s uniforms

How can you personalize your team member’s uniforms? One simple way to personalize your team member’s uniforms is to get your company’s name or your team member’s names embroidered on to the front of your team member’s uniforms.

5. You can choose pieces for your team member’s uniforms in your company’s colors

Another reason to design your team’s uniforms is so that you can choose specific colors for each piece of your team’s uniform. As an example, if your company’s official color is blue, you may want to select the exact shade of blue featured in your company’s logo for your team’s uniforms. Which will help your customers or clients identify your team members with your business.

6. You’ll boost your team’s moral

Another reason why you may want to spend some time designing uniforms for your workplace is that you’ll boost your team’s moral. As most individuals will be proud to wear a stylish, well-designed team uniform.

So if you’re keen on the idea of designing your team’s uniforms, it’s well worth going ahead and designing your team’s uniforms from scratch!

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.