10 Best Small Business Tools to Drive Growth in 2022

Sales and MarketingLeave a comment

10 Best Small Business Tools to Drive Growth in 2022 Growing a small business can be challenging and has become even more difficult because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hardest part of growing a small business is driving new customers to your business. As a small business owner, how can you market your products or service with limited resources? The answer is using tools. FeedbackClarity brought you the ten best and most affordable marketing tools you can use to be more profitable. 1. Be a Creative Designer With Canva Have you ever wanted to create beautiful graphics for your business but couldn’t because you don’t know how to use graphic design software? You or an entry-level marketer can use Canva to create various graphics, including flyers, website banners, presentations, e-books, social media banners, etc. Canva is a simple drag-and-drop graphic design platform. One does not need to possess graphic design skills to get started with Canva. So, how do you use Canva? Step 1: Go to Canva.com and Create an Account Canva offers a free account to its users, but the features are limited in the free plan. Step 2: Search and Select a Template Canva offers different types of ready-to-use graphic templates. All you need to do is just browse the templates, select what you want to create, and start designing your first graphic! Step 3: Edit the Template to Fit Your Needs Canva’s editor allows users to add text, graphics, animations, etc., all from its resources repository. In addition, it provides nearly infinite customization options to create any kind of graphics. The platform also allows professionals to create designs from scratch.   2. Send Newsletters With Moonsend A newsletter is a great way to keep your customers engaged and informed about what’s happening in your business. The technical challenges of creating and sending newsletters discourage small business owners from trying it. With Moonsend, one doesn’t need to worry about building complex newsletter processes. How does Moonsend work? Moonsend is a DIY email marketing platform. You would only need an email and subscription plan to start using it. The tool offers several features such as cold email campaigns, monthly newsletters, email sequences, and a built-in database to store and grow your subscribers. Since we are talking about Moonsend as a platform to run and manage newsletters, the two features that caught our attention are its newsletter template library and email scheduling/automation options. Moonsend’s email editor lets you build beautiful and engaging newsletters without design or HTML knowledge. You need to drag and drop resources such as images, text, and CTAs, and arrange them neatly. How much does Moonsend cost? Moon isn’t a free tool. It only offers a 30-day free trial with limited features. On a positive note, their pricing is affordable. Moonsend only costs $9 if your customers (subscribers) are less than 500 and $16 if 1000. The company charges its customers based on the subscriber count. The basic plan works well for most small businesses. 3. Replace Excel With Zoho CRM Are you still using Excel or Google Sheets to manage your business’s customer data? While spreadsheets are great calculators, they are not very efficient when working as databases. As a result, SMB owners lose the 360-degree view of their customers. Many small business owners, especially those who are not tech-savvy, tend to think that CRMs are complex. A CRM is no longer the difficult or an expensive tool it used to be. Most CRMs of the modern-day are cloud-based and have an easy-to-use interface. What is Zoho CRM? Zoho makes web-based business apps such as CRM, support desk, live chat, surveys, forms, etc. It offers an array of tools for small businesses at an affordable price. We listed Zoho over other popular CRM tools because of its free and low-priced subscription plans. How Much Does Zoho CRM Cost? Zoho offers an entirely free CRM that is ideal for beginners. The free plan is perfect for home businesses. SMBs can explore paid plans beginning from $7 a month. The company also offers a complete business suite, which it calls, CRM Plus. 4. Manage Your Team and Projects Better With Asana Asana is one of the best project management and productivity tools available. Any small business with a team that requires continuous project management can use Asana. With Asana, you can control your company, team, and overall productivity. Asana allows you to break down your projects into trackable tasks. The tasks, then, can be assigned to a respective employee with a due date. As a business owner, you can easily track all the tasks within multiple projects and track progress or bottlenecks. We picked Asana as our favorite project management app because it is not only feature-rich but also free. Asana’s free plan works perfectly well for most small businesses and startups. Their paid plans start from $10.99 a month and are ideal for growing companies. Here is how you can get started with Asana. Step 1: Create an Asana Account Go to Asana.com and create a free account with your business email. Step 2: Create Your First Team Asana allows you to create teams and projects. A team can be a function such as marketing, sales, and support, or it can just be one whole company. You can create projects and nest them under teams. Click on the Teams link in the navigation menu on the left and enter the details. Invite your employees or contractors to be a part of your team by entering their email addresses.   Step 3: Create Your First Project The concept of teams and projects in Asana can be confusing for beginners. A team is a group of people categorized by their skills or function; for example, marketing can be a team. On the other hand, a project can be a set of tasks within a team. A classic example of a Project within marketing can be social media or search engine optimization. Click on the + icon on the…

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5 Winning Strategies to Drive More Reviews to Your Online Store

E-commerce, Online Reputation, Reviews and RatingsLeave a comment

5 Winning Strategies to Drive More Reviews to Your Online Store Online reviews of your online store and the products you sell influence customers in a big way. More positive reviews mean more conversions and revenue. Whether you are a seasoned e-commerce seller or getting started newly, this article will help you drive much-needed positive reviews to your business. The Basics  Managing online reputation for an e-commerce business can be challenging because you need to take care of your products and the business reviews. Type of Review Where It Appears Review Effect Product review On the product pages Positively or negatively influences the conversion rate of the specific product based on the review. Business review On Google My Business, social media pages, and marketplace trust platforms like BBB Positively or negatively affect the overall reputation and trust. Testimonial On a website’s homepage Encourages new website visitors to buy products on the website. Ideally, it would be best to focus on improving the business reviews on the internet, especially on the platforms like Google My Business. For example, new visitors to your website tend to search your business name on Google to check reviews. However, if there are negative reviews or too few positive reviews, getting converted will reduce drastically. Shift your focus to product reviews or testimonials on the website once you have many positive reviews on Google. Now, let’s focus on the winning strategies you can use to get more reviews for your e-commerce business. 1. Use Coupons to Get More Reviews Please make a list of your most loyal customers and reach out to them requesting business reviews. Offer them a reward, preferably a coupon that they can use to get a discount on your products. Do’s: Run an email campaign targeting your loyal customers. Send instructions in the email on how they can write a review Inform them about how positive reviews help your business grow and help them serve even better. Offer them an exclusive reward in exchange for a review. Create an end date for the campaign to create urgency. Dont’s: Don’t send generic discount coupons that customers can find on your website irrespective of a review. Don’t send the emails to customers you know nothing about to prevent negative reviews. 2. Leverage Social Media Use your e-commerce business’s social media profiles, especially Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to run some contests. Subtly ask your followers to leave a positive review and reward them for their participation. Don’t make reviews the epicenter of the social competition. For example, if you own an e-commerce store that sells camera accessories, you can ask your followers to send their best photos. Ask them to leave a five-star rating for your business on Google, Facebook, etc. (based on your preference) as one of the contest’s terms and conditions. Do’s: Reward the contest winners with products that you sell instead of a coupon to create interest Give yourself enough time to promote the contest on your website, social media pages, and newsletter. Use graphics and text to explain the contest rules clearly. Encourage your followers to share the competition extensively. For example, you can have social sharing as one of the game rules. Use previous contest references such as winners, what they won, etc., to encourage participation. Don’ts: Don’t offer virtual items such as coupons as rewards Don’t put too many terms and conditions Use Customer Service Representatives 3. Engage Your Customer Service Team Your customer service team knows your buyers better. Periodically follow up with your customer service representatives to understand if any happy customers are super excited about your products. Make a list of such patrons, reach out to them personally, and request reviews. As a business owner, you can have your customer service or marketing team run the campaign on your behalf. A message from a CEO or a president usually has better engagement rates. Do’s: Run a personalized email campaign for happy customers, thanking them for being a part of your business. Offer them rewards, preferably discount coupons that they can use for their next purchase. Highlight the importance of their positive review and explain how it can help you serve them even better Follow up with them gently until they respond to your review request. Inform them about the steps involved in leaving a review. Don’ts: Don’t over-follow up for reviews Don’t make rewards the core of your message. Integrate Reviews Tightly With Your System 4. Integrate Reviews Tightly With Your System Design your e-commerce website and its processes in a way that they drive maximum reviews and ratings. Allow customers to review products they buy on your website. Furthermore, create workflows that send automated emails to customers after purchasing a product. Finally, create a page on your website that displays all the testimonials in chronological order. While this approach maximizes the number of reviews and ratings you get, it increases the risk of negative feedback. Ensure that your products and customer service are top-notch to put reviews at the heart of your business. Do’s: Make it easy for customers to review products. Create email workflows to reach out to buyers and request feedback. Create a dedicated space on the website to highlight customer testimonials Build a page to display all of your customer testimonials Request your social media followers periodically for reviews. Don’ts: Don’t make the life of customers difficult. Don’t over-engage customers for reviews or testimonials Work With an Online Reputation Management Agency 5. Work With an Online Reputation Management Agency Working with an online reputation management agency like FeedbackClarity is the way to go if you don’t have time or resources to focus on getting reviews. ORM agencies can not only help build a solid reputation online but also dispute and remove negative reviews. They are skilled at reviving businesses plagued by negative feedback. A few agencies offer an easy-to-use ORM tool as a SaaS subscription. These tools provide incredible ROI, given reviews affect conversion and revenue directly. Are you struggling lately…

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5 Ways Negative Reviews Affect Your Business

Online Reputation, Reviews and RatingsLeave a comment

5 Ways Negative Reviews Affect Your Business The Internet has changed the way businesses market their products and services. It has provided an opportunity for businesses of all sizes worldwide to market their offerings quickly and easily. On the downside, the same internet can wreck a business in the form of negative reviews. Bad reviews do not always mean revenue loss. They affect a business in many other ways. This article will find out how negative reviews on the internet can affect your business. 1. Scare New Customers Away According to TrustPilot, a global consumer reviews website, 89% of people read reviews online before buying a product or calling a business. When a potential customer discovers your business online and is greeted with too many negative reviews, they are doubtful to contact you. In most cases, they would call your competitor who has better online reviews. No matter how a potential customer discovers your business, 9 out of 10 times, they will check your business on the internet to read customer reviews. 2. Create a Negative Impression Negative reviews have a psychological effect on people. By looking at negative reviews or low ratings, most people automatically assume a business to be terrible right away. This perception in people’s minds is what is called online reputation. You may have spent years building your business, but most people judge it when they see the reviews. 3. Destroy Your Marketing Efforts Bad reviews directly affect conversions. They negatively impact your lead generation strategies, be it PPC, email marketing, or SEO. Even if a potential customer finds your advertisement on a billboard, they are more likely to google your business name to get a sense of its popularity. Often, business owners increase their marketing efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of poor online reputation. This strategy would increase customer acquisition costs drastically and drain the marketing budget in no time. Ideally, a business owner should focus on fixing negative reviews in such a scenario. 4. Result in Lower Organic Rankings All customer review platforms on the internet, including Google, YellowPages, Facebook, etc., run on an algorithm that ranks businesses with more positive reviews on top. That means your business will rank very low in the order if it has a lot of negative reviews. Besides, poor reviews on the internet can also negatively affect your SEO efforts. Google’s John Mueller confirmed that many negative reviews could potentially affect search engine rankings. 5. Lose to Competition Negative feedback is the number one reason many businesses lose their new or existing customers to their competitors. A customer would always choose a business that has more positive reviews. Having low ratings or no reviews, in most cases, results in losing new customers and revenue to your competitors. Remember, most companies or businesses with an ocean of positive reviews on the internet partner with an online reputation management agency. Removing negative reviews and driving positive feedback is never a problem when working with experts.

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Top doctor review websites

Top Doctor Reviews Websites to List Your Healthcare Practice

Medical and Healthcare, Reviews and RatingsLeave a comment

Top Doctor Review Websites to List Your Healthcare Practice Patients have been using doctor reviews websites and rating platforms to search for doctors near them. According to an NRC research report, nearly 60% of interviewed patients said they chose a doctor based on positive reviews on the internet. Most patients rely on physician review websites to validate recommendations from friends, family members, or even doctors. If you are a doctor or market expert representing a healthcare practice, you must ensure that your practice is listed on the following doctor review websites. 1. Google My Business We listed Google My Business as number one because of its visibility on the first page of search results. Google ratings dominate every other doctor rating website with a lot of information, including addresses and photos. When configured the right way, a Google My Business listing can do the job of a website. 2. ZocDoc ZocDoc has been a reliable platform for medical reviews. ZocDoc allows patients to review doctors and works as an appointment booking platform. Being listed on ZocDoc with a good number of reviews help your practice get more appointments. 3. RateMDs.com RateMDs.com is an exclusive doctor reviews platform with over 1.7 million listings and more than 2.5 million reviews. Besides the review sites mentioned above, you must also ensure that your practice is listed on RateMDs.com. 4. HealthGrades.com HealthGrades has accumulated more than 10 million reviews over the years and remained one of the top doctor reviews sites in the United States. The website has a very high domain authority which allows it to rank on top in the Google Search results. 5. Vitals.com Vitals.com is an exclusive platform for medical and healthcare reviews. The website allows doctors to create listings and patients to review doctors. 6. WebMD Reviews WebMD is the world’s most popular health and medical information portal. It also maintains a database of qualified doctors in the United States. WebMD Reviews isn’t popular as other doctor review websites. Having a profile there helps build trust and reputation. Please remember that creating a profile on the above sites does not automatically boost your online reputation. Instead, it would help if you found ways to get more reviews on them to get a positive benefit.

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