Is good service worth the extra money?

Would you rather pay less and get bad service or pay a bit more and get excellent service ?

As some of you know I went on a short trip to New York last week. My husband and I flew from Toronto, Canada (where we left our kids with their grandparents). We took a small Canadian airline called Porter Airlines.

And let me tell you, I was really impressed with their service: complimentary Starbucks coffee, snacks, soda and wi-fi in the waiting lounge, free premium snacks on the plane and a free shuttle bus to downtown. And of course really friendly staff.

Yes, we did pay a bit more, but if I compare it with a recent trip from Geneva to Egypt with Easyjet, I would say that it was worth the extra money. It was a much more pleasant experience, all included in one price. For the non-Europeans, Easyjet is a low-cost airline that serves many airports within Europe. Their business strategy is the opposite: low flight prices but then you have to pay everything extra: drinks, food, baggage, speedy service. Oh and the worst part: you get no seat number. So it’s always a big fight.*

This got me thinking and I have come to the following conclusion: to stand apart from all the other small businesses, you will be more successful offering great service at a slightly higher price. In the long run this will get people talking about their experience in a positive way and encourage them to recommend your services to their friends.

So YES, I think good service is worth the extra money.

What is your opinion ? Share below…

* Don’t get me wrong. I will still be taking Easy Jet flights from time to time. But if I had the choice of paying a bit more and take Porter instead, I would definitely choose the latter.

LinkedIn Company Pages

What are LinkedIn Company pages ?

According to LinkedIn, “Company Pages are a company’s profile of record on LinkedIn and a powerful way to speak to millions of professionals through word-of-mouth recommendations and trusted testimonials. It’s like a LinkedIn profile for a company.

For LinkedIn members, Company Pages are a great way to research companies you’re interested in, follow them to stay updated, see what kind of people work there, and even review the products and services you use.

For companies, Company Pages present an opportunity to reveal the human side of your company. Provide a peek at the individuals behind your brand and highlight how members use your products. Your Company Page offers tools to bring your brand to life.”

How do I set up a LinkedIn Company page ?

It’s pretty straight forward to set up your own company page. Just follow the tips and guidelines below and you will have your own in no time.

Start by clicking HERE to create your new page.

How do I customize my LinkedIn Company page ?

A Company page consists of 4 different tabs:

• The Overview tab
• The Products and Service tab
• The Analytics tab
• The Careers tab

Let’s have a look at them one by one.

1. Overview tab
   In this tab you provide LinkedIn members with a rich, network-aware snapshot of your company.

   Company Name
   Make sure the company name listing matches the name you use in your profile. For example if you use LLC or Inc. on your personal profile, your company site must be the same.

   Admins
   LinkedIn wants to know who will administer your company profile. You have two choices: either all employees with a valid email address registered to your domain or designated users only.

   Logos
   Logos can be uploaded as a standard logo as well as a square logo that will be used for network updates.

   Company Description
   In the company description section, you have the opportunity to describe who you are and what you do.

   Specialties
   Include keywords that describe what you do in this section. You have 256 total characters to describe specialties.
   
   Twitter and Company Blog RSS Feed
   Reference your blogposts and Twitter feeds so you can provide a more comprehensive snapshot of your company to members

   

   News Module
   Indicate whether you would like news about your company shared with visiting members

   Download LinkedIn’s Guide to set up your Overview tab
   
   

2. Products and Services Tab

   In this tab you will showcase your best products and services and spotlight product recommendations.

   Edit default landing page
   First thing to do when optimizing this tab, is to edit your default landing page. Here you will provide content regarding your products and services to your default audience segment.

   Create additional audience segments
   You can create up to 4 different audience segments. When visiting members’ profiles indicate that they belong to a particular segment that you have defined, a customized version of your content will be served up. In the event that a member profile does not correspond to one of the audience segments that you’ve defined, content defined under your “default” tab will be served up.
   You can define your audience based on 4 criteria: Function, Industry, Seniority, and Geography.
   
   
   
   Listing all your products and services, describing them
   In this tab you will list all your products and services. You can upload pictures, link those to specific urls on your website and if you have one, even feature a short video, by inserting the youtube url. There is also a 2000 character space to describe each one of your products/services and a section where you can list the major benefits or features in bullet points.
   
   Download LinkedIn’s guide to set up your Products and Services tab
   
   

3. Analytics Tab
   

   In this tab you can gain insights about company followers with data visible only to Company Page administrators
   

4. Careers Tab
   

   In case your company is hiring, this is a great place to post your open job. You will get lots of visibility for very little money.
   
   Download LinkedIn’s guide to set up your Careers tab

So what do you think ? There is still space for improvement from LinkedIn’s side, but in my opinion if you have invested time to improve your profile, you should go all the way and also create a page for your company.

What are your thoughts ? Share below in the comment section…

Help, everybody is stealing my content !

In case you came to read this post because you’re actually worried that everybody is stealing your content: sorry to let you know that the title is meant in a sarcastic way. But don’t leave just yet, let me explain …

Unless you’re in the research field, let’s face it, you probably share content that people could already find through some other source on the web. But, if you are willing to share your knowledge, they will learn from YOU and see YOU as an expert in the field.

But how do I make money if I share all my content on my blog ?

First of all, you will not share ALL your content. You will give your audience “pink spoons” or samples of your knowledge, showing them how to do it but then wanting more. Second of all, there are two groups in your audience: those who can’t afford your services and do it themselves, and those who are too busy to do it themselves and will pay you to do it for them.

The first group (those who CAN’T afford you)
is not your ideal client anyway, because they won’t “show you the money”. But they see you as a valuable information source and respects you as an expert in your field. They feel grateful that you are sharing your knowledge with them for free, and when they get a chance, will return the favor and refer your business to friends (who CAN afford to pay you).

The second group (those who CAN afford your services),
well, they are your ideal client. They have come across your information and know what you are capable of. However they are too busy making money, that they don’t have time to follow all your great instructions. So they contact you to work with them.

There is a third group, those who want to exchange services.
Instead of paying you, they offer you their service and expertise in exchange. In theory I think exchanging services is a nice idea: I do you a favor, you do me a favor. In practice and business life though, let me tell you: it never works ! Unless there is a dollar sign (or any other currency) attached to a contract, people just don’t have the same commitment. This doesn’t mean I don’t do favors for people I know, but if a new potential client suggests an “Exchange of services agreement” I will stay away from it.

So, what is your opinion ? Share or don’t share ? Come share your opinion on Simplicity’s Facebook Page or leave a comment below.

Undoing the Ego Tango: Book Review

Here is the scenario: person A, let’s call her Sarah, is unhappy with her web hosting service. After multiple attempts of getting help with the slow server, and unsatisfying e-mail exchanges she decides to cancel the service. Since she has paid for two years in advance, she kindly asks them if they could reimburse her. They tell her no. And that’s where she makes her big mistake: she writes back that she finds this very disappointing and unprofessional. Oh my, those web guys don’t like that. They reply with a nasty e-mail and you guessed it, tell her that there's nothing wrong with their server and it’s all her fault because she doesn’t know how to “debug”.

How did Sarah feel that morning ? Not very good. Aggressive, disappointed, taken for an idiot.

Did this ever happen to you ? How would you have reacted ?

If only Sarah had read Amy Carroll’s book “Undoing the Ego Tango - ” before hitting the send button !

In her book, Amy will tell you many similar scenarios that happened to her, and how she turned them around and made them into a positive experience. She has a very engaging and energetic style and you will just want to keep reading. To make it even more beneficial for you, she throws in some self-reflecting questions after each chapter, making it almost into one of her private coaching sessions.

The “Ego Tango” will help you take a deep breath, analyze the situation, decide if your ego is willing to take the blow, and then present your opponent with a solution that has a positive outcome for both parties. It is applicable for personal or professional relationships.

Being Swiss, I especially like her little hints at Swiss locations, mentalities or habits :-)

About Amy Carroll

Amy is American, but lives in Switzerland. She brings with her over 25 years of personal experience and education. Fourteen of those years were spent working in psychiatric, managed care and educational facilities before becoming a coach, trainer and speaker. Her understanding of the human psyche is extensive.

You can find out more about her book here or visit Amy’s website at www.carollcoaching.com

Or just head on over to Amazon and buy your own copy ! You won’t regret it :-)

11 Things You Shouldn’t Forget When Switching Websites

by Sarah Santacroce

picture courtesy of Salvatore Vuoto

When you are through changing, you are through. ~Bruce Barton

I think every small business owner would agree that change is a good thing and necessary in order to succeed. Well, my own little business is also going through some change right now, let’s say it’s “growing up”. After a year in business I have redefined my objectives and decided which areas I really want to focus on. This needs to be reflected on my website and my business logo and name. So you see, some big changes coming up (hint: “Simplicity” will stay, even though everybody has trouble spelling it :-)

But, in this post I don’t want to just talk about my upcoming changes, I want to share with you some things I have learned during this experience.

This post will focus on switching websites and what kind of things you need to look out for when going through that procedure.

1. Finalize website
   Of course you want to be sure that your website is finished and will impress people at first sight.
   
   
2. Test website
   I recommend you test all the links, forms, downloads and videos on your site before going live.
   
   
3. Decide on a weekend to switch website
   It is best to switch sites on a weekend. This way there’s less interruption for potential site visitors.
   
   
4. Redirect old domain to new domain
   It is very important to have your developer use 301 redirects to tell both people and search engines that the site has permanently moved to a new URL
   
   
5. Leave a “trail” in the meta tag description and keyword of the old site
   Make sure your meta tag description and keyword section mentions your old site name
   
   
6. Update your listings in directories
   Take the time to update your directory listings such as Google, Google Places, Yahoo, Yellow Pages etc.
   
   
7. Update all Social Media Accounts
   You will have to make a list of all the Social Media tools where you have an account and go in there and update your information. And there’s more than just Facebook and Twitter. Best idea is to do a Google Search for your company name and see what kind of listings come up. Every site where you have submitted content needs to have an updated profile with the new web domain. Here are a few that I came up with: Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Scribd, Slideshare, Ezine Articles, Youtube, Xing etc. etc.
   
   
8. Update your e-mail signature
   Don’t forget to update your e-mail signature !
   
   
9. Update your Autoresponders and Newsletter settings and links
   Go into each of your Autoresponders and check if you need to update your links. Especially the ones to download your free offers. People would be quite upset if they subscribe to your list and then get a 404 Error message when they try to download your e-book !
   
   
10. Write a press release and host it on your website
    Since this is a major milestone for your business you will want to write a news release about it and send it to online press release directories (such as PRWeb.com or pitchengine.com). Also host it on your own website of course.
    
    
11. Send out an e-mail to your list
    Last but not least inform your subscribers that you have switched websites and give them the new RSS feed and a sign-up form to receive your blog posts by e-mail.

What did I forget ? Has anyone gone through this experience as well and can share some more tips with us ?

Increase your traffic with a Press Room on your website

by Sarah Santacroce

In a previous post I have showed you how to increase your online visibility with Press Release Marketing.
The strategy consists in sharing your press releases on online press release distribution sites. It is a very good approach to get your brand noticed on Google.

In this post I would like to show you the benefits of having a press room on your own website. But first, let’s define a “press room”, or also called a “news room”: A press room is a designated page on your website where journalists and other curious minds can discover the latest news about your company.

So why should your website have a press room ?

Reason #1: Increase your traffic

Besides your blog, your press room is the only other non-static page on your website.
If you update it regularly, the search engines will love to come back and reference your page.
You can also share your Press Releases through Social Media and increase traffic to your site this way.

Reason # 2: We are All Journalists Now

Before web2.0, press releases were just for journalists and only big company changes were announced to the press. Today press or news releases can be used even by small companies, and the whole wide world has access to them. By distributing your press releases you will be reaching out to a huge audience and who will be curious to see your updates and visit your website.

Reason #3: Be perceived as an expert in your field

By submitting great content you will boost your site’s "authority" and be perceived as an expert in your field. This is critical in order to increase your site's overall visibility in search results and thus deliver real traffic. So, don’t miss the opportunity to turn your site into a trusted resource that will drive deeper, longer term relationships.

What has to be on your press room page?

1. Your complete contact details
   
   
2. Your latest press releases, as downloadable pdf documents.
   
   
3. The logo of your business, as downloadable image
   
   
4. Photos of you, as downloadable image
   
   
5. Photos of your products, if you sell any
   
   
6. Audio and/or video clips for the time-starved reporter, directly embedded on your page
   
   
7. Links to your Social Media presence (Facebook page, Linkedin Profile, Twitter etc.)
   
   
8. News Feed for Automatic Receipt of Press Room Updates Make it easy for those who are interested to get press releases and other news hot off the press via an RSS reader
   

I hope these points have convinced you to go talk to your webmaster ;-)

P.S. Just a heads up that some change is in the air concerning my website and blog. Sometime this summer I will ask you to update my RSS feed. But for now you can still subscribe here.

360 Entrepreneurship Summit for Women Entrepreneurs

This is a guest post by Anna Persson, Founder of the 360 Entrepreneurship Summit

Anna has a solid background in women leadership development and extensive experience in the field of international conference planning and management. Before starting her own company, she worked over five year as Conference Director and Sponsor Account Manager for international business conferences in Europe with focus on women’s leadership evolution. But Anna’s true passion is connecting people to bring ideas into projects and actions, to activate team spirit and to make partnerships and joint ventures happen. Read Anna’s personal invitation to the one summit you don’t want to miss this year.

It’s a pleasure for me to invite you to join 360 Entrepreneurship Summit in Malmö Sweden 16-18 September 2011.

The 360 Entrepreneurship Summit designed for both experienced and new business owners alike and you can expect high level of training, practical and hands on content and of course great networking opportunities. For 3 days you will have access to a Mastermind group of internationally renown, inspiring keynote and workshop presenters delivering leading edge strategies, tools and resources to strengthen your business results! This is where you get the answers to your questions and you’ll be able to walk away with the strategies and the tool kit you need to accelerate your business. The 360 Summit presenters have helped hundreds if not thousands of women create, develop and grow their business and they are here to do the same for you!

Women today, represent one of the largest market opportunities in our lifetime both as producers and consumers, and a strong European network of committed, talented women represents an unlimited creative and economic force. And it all starts with you!
So what are some the reasons for creating a conference for entrepreneurs and small business owners?

Build valuable connections and expand opportunities - Relationship is one of the prime factors for doing business with each other and we want to do business with people we know, whom we like and trust. The summit will allow for truly developing and deepening contacts and you will meet with a large number of extraordinary business women who are serious about doing business in the “spirit of mutual benefit”

Promote yourself and your business - As an entrepreneur and small business owner it’s crucial to keep a high profile in business letting people know you exist. Creating rapport, getting to know your potential joint venture partners and potential clients is so much easier when having a face to face contact.

Personal development, improving and learning new business skills - If you want our business to grow you need to grow with it, and it’s necessary to keep up with a number of things; how to be a conscious and successful leader, develop a strong brand to attract business, get the social media working for you, not you working them, how to protect your intellectual property and also learn and adopt a health so you can stay on fire without burning out.
My aim is that 360Entrepreneurship Summit will give you lots of new business opportunities and connections, supporting your business development and strengthen both your business results and enhance your personal growth. And I really want you to feel welcome, inspired and included.

Maybe you don’t know just how important entrepreneurship and Small and Medium sized Enterprise is to the economy. Well, SME’s are true back-bone of the European economy, primarily responsible for wealth and economic growth, next to the key role in innovation R&D. I’ll share some interesting facts with you. The EU non-financial business economy counts over 20 million enterprises, where over 99% are SMEs. They provide 2/3 of the private sector jobs and contribute to more than half of the total value-added created by business in the EU. Even more intriguing the fact that 9/10 SMEs are micro enterprises where each provides work for two persons in average. So if it’s something we should support and encourage it is the development and growth of entrepreneurship and small business!

See you in Sweden 16-18 September!
Anna

For more information visit 360 Entrepreneurship website www.360entrepreneurship.com or join 360’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/360Entrepreneurship.