5 Essential Social Sharing Buttons for Your Site

Today, there’s a social network for just about every interest and demographic. People use social media for everything from landing a job to finding old friends, from promoting a business to pure entertainment.

For small businesses, social media can be a key driver for online marketing. One of the golden rules is to make it easy for people to help you spread the word about your businessâ€"and one-click social sharing buttons are as easy as it gets.

So you might think the more buttons, the merrier. If you offer enough social sharing buttons, anyone visiting your website will be able to instantly share your pages, posts and more with their friends, no matter which of the dozens of social networking platforms they use.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

Too Many Social Sharing Buttons Can Backfire

If you’re displaying a big chunk of social sharing buttons that’s longer than some of your posts, you might come across as desperateâ€"which can be a major turnoff for today’s online consumers.

Beyond that, offering so many choices can actually make the decision to share more complicated for visitors. You want to make things easyâ€"and for people who use more than one social network (which is most of them), fewer is easier.

Finally, not all social media networks match your target demographics. If you run a B2B company, having people share your info on Reddit won’t do you much good.

Which Social Sharing Buttons Should You Use?

The best choices for social sharing buttons are those that will get you exposure to the widest possible audience that contains your target demographics. (An infographic from The Search Agents shows which networks are the most popular among what audiences.)

In some cases, your small business might benefit from an alternate sharing button, especially if you’re in a niche industry. But in general, the important connections to offer your visitors are:

Facebook

The number one social network on the planet with 800 million users, including 2/3 of the population of the United States. Facebook is effective for sharing any and all types of content across a vast map of digital connections.

Twitter

The second most popular site for sharing, Twitter is a must for small business because of the speed at which messages and links can travel. Catch the right audience, and tweets about your business could spread to millions in just a few hours.

Google+

An up-and-comer in the social networking world, having your content shared on Google+ gives you an advantage with the most used search engine in the world. The Google+ sharing button is especially important if your target demographics lean toward maleâ€"since more than twice as many males as females use this social network.

LinkedIn

The network for business-related activity, LinkedIn is the professional heavy hitter. It’s a must for connecting with people in your industry and particularly useful if you’re scouting for fresh talent.

Email

The original sharing button, including a quick email connection with your content ensures that all your bases are coveredâ€"even if you happen to have visitors who don’t use social media.

Pinterest

The popular image-based social network, is the best choice for small businesses with largely female target demographics. If your business relates to weddings, beauty, food, home, fashion, design, personal interests, or DIY, swap out Google+ for Pinterest in your social sharing button choices.

Social Photo via Shutterstock

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Tech Thursday (9/26): Small Business and Technology News from Verio, StopTheHacker, comScore, UPS and Neat

It’s Tech Thursday from Smallbiztechnology.com. Each week we take a quick look at recent small business and technology news and updates for the small business community and share them with you in a quick and simple round-up. 

Verio and StopTheHacker Team-up to Offer SMBs Free Website Security Reports

 

Website Security Reports Valued at $50; Importance of Website Security Webinar Scheduled for October 9, 2013 to Educate SMBs

 

Verio Inc., the leading provider of online business solutions to SMBs worldwide and StopTheHacker, one of the world’s fastest growing website security companies, today announced the two companies will be offering a free Website security report to their SMB customers. To support the campaign and educate SMBs on the importance of website security, Verio will host a free Webinar on October 9, 2013 on the topic of website security. To register for the Webinar visit: www.verio.com/website-security/webinar.

With 85% of all malware attacks coming from the web and an estimated 30,000+ websites infected with malware every day, it is critical for organizations of all sizes and more importantly SMBs with limited infrastructure and resources to protect and monitor their Web vulnerability and online reputation. Based on the proliferation of malware and its impact on an SMB’s online reputation, Verio is offering Website security reports, valued at $50 each, through its partnership with StopTheHacker.

For more on this offering, click here.

Online Shoppers Demand More as E-Commerce Spending Increases

Channels, choices & convenience lead to online shopping satisfaction

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, and UPS Canada today released the results of the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper Studyâ„¢: A Customer Experience Study, which contains key consumer insights into elements of the online shopping experience that drive brand preference, customer loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.

The study, conducted by comScore found online shoppers are increasingly demanding more from retailers. Consumers want more information at the start of the online experience, more options during checkout and delivery, and more channels for interacting with their favourite retailers. A seamless returns process, free shipping and social and mobile access were rated among the most important needs of today’s online shopper.

“This study highlights the critical three Cs of today’s retail online customer experience - channels, choices and convenience,” said Nicolas Dorget, vice president of customer solutions, UPS Canada. “Retailers can win shoppers over by providing a consistent and positive omnichannel experience. From mobile apps to social media platforms, today’s consumers value - and even expect - services to work together across the entire shopping continuum from pre-purchase to post-purchase.”

For more insight into this study, click here.

Neat® Announces NeatConnect®, Industry’s First Direct-to-the-Cloud Touchscreen Scanner

Wireless scanner extends Neat’s leadership in the cloud-based Digital Filing Category

 

Neat®, a leader in Digital Filing Systems for the small business and consumer markets, today announced the availability of NeatConnect®, the first wireless scanner to include direct-to-cloud capabilities and an integrated touchscreen interface. NeatConnect truly delivers on the promise of scan-to-cloud convenience and enhances the benefits offered by Neat’s cloud-based Digital Filing System.

NeatConnect allows users to scan documents directly to a cloud service or email them from the scanner all without being tethered to a computer or requiring an intermediate device or software application. Mirroring the sleek appearance of Neat’s award-winning family of scanners, NeatConnect includes:

• Intuitive touchscreen for speedy selection of personalized cloud and email destinations
• Multiple user settings to accommodate the needs of small businesses and families
• Integrated Wi-Fi antenna allowing users to situate NeatConnect in a place that best serves their workflow and lifestyle - a common area in the office or at home in a place where paper and mail tends to pile up.

NeatConnect further extends Neat’s cloud-based Digital Filing System by scanning documents, receipts, and business cards directly to NeatCloud®. Scanning directly to NeatCloud ensures documents go through optical character recognition (OCR) and Neat patented parsing technology enabling the many capabilities that make Neat the leader in the Digital Filing System category, such as:

• Sync - Synchronize information automatically across desktop and mobile devices.
• Access - View files on any internet connected device including a smartphone, tablet or computer.
• Organize - Add, edit and move folders within your Digital Filing System making it simple to quickly locate and access your information.
• Edit - Revise data fields and add notes to receipts, business cards and documents.
• Search - Sort, filter and find the items and folders in your Digital Filing System based on date, keyword or item type.
• Share & Collaborate - Share any document or folder with anyone and comment back and forth on items for easy collaboration.
• Activate - Create professional expense, tax and spending reports directly within Neat; or export information to other services such as QuickBooks, Quicken or TurboTax.

For more on this new scanner from Neat, click here.

 

Tech Thursday (9/26): Small Business and Technology News from Verio, StopTheHacker, comScore, UPS and Neat

It’s Tech Thursday from Smallbiztechnology.com. Each week we take a quick look at recent small business and technology news and updates for the small business community and share them with you in a quick and simple round-up. 

Verio and StopTheHacker Team-up to Offer SMBs Free Website Security Reports

 

Website Security Reports Valued at $50; Importance of Website Security Webinar Scheduled for October 9, 2013 to Educate SMBs

 

Verio Inc., the leading provider of online business solutions to SMBs worldwide and StopTheHacker, one of the world’s fastest growing website security companies, today announced the two companies will be offering a free Website security report to their SMB customers. To support the campaign and educate SMBs on the importance of website security, Verio will host a free Webinar on October 9, 2013 on the topic of website security. To register for the Webinar visit: www.verio.com/website-security/webinar.

With 85% of all malware attacks coming from the web and an estimated 30,000+ websites infected with malware every day, it is critical for organizations of all sizes and more importantly SMBs with limited infrastructure and resources to protect and monitor their Web vulnerability and online reputation. Based on the proliferation of malware and its impact on an SMB’s online reputation, Verio is offering Website security reports, valued at $50 each, through its partnership with StopTheHacker.

For more on this offering, click here.

Online Shoppers Demand More as E-Commerce Spending Increases

Channels, choices & convenience lead to online shopping satisfaction

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, and UPS Canada today released the results of the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper Studyâ„¢: A Customer Experience Study, which contains key consumer insights into elements of the online shopping experience that drive brand preference, customer loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.

The study, conducted by comScore found online shoppers are increasingly demanding more from retailers. Consumers want more information at the start of the online experience, more options during checkout and delivery, and more channels for interacting with their favourite retailers. A seamless returns process, free shipping and social and mobile access were rated among the most important needs of today’s online shopper.

“This study highlights the critical three Cs of today’s retail online customer experience - channels, choices and convenience,” said Nicolas Dorget, vice president of customer solutions, UPS Canada. “Retailers can win shoppers over by providing a consistent and positive omnichannel experience. From mobile apps to social media platforms, today’s consumers value - and even expect - services to work together across the entire shopping continuum from pre-purchase to post-purchase.”

For more insight into this study, click here.

Neat® Announces NeatConnect®, Industry’s First Direct-to-the-Cloud Touchscreen Scanner

Wireless scanner extends Neat’s leadership in the cloud-based Digital Filing Category

 

Neat®, a leader in Digital Filing Systems for the small business and consumer markets, today announced the availability of NeatConnect®, the first wireless scanner to include direct-to-cloud capabilities and an integrated touchscreen interface. NeatConnect truly delivers on the promise of scan-to-cloud convenience and enhances the benefits offered by Neat’s cloud-based Digital Filing System.

NeatConnect allows users to scan documents directly to a cloud service or email them from the scanner all without being tethered to a computer or requiring an intermediate device or software application. Mirroring the sleek appearance of Neat’s award-winning family of scanners, NeatConnect includes:

• Intuitive touchscreen for speedy selection of personalized cloud and email destinations
• Multiple user settings to accommodate the needs of small businesses and families
• Integrated Wi-Fi antenna allowing users to situate NeatConnect in a place that best serves their workflow and lifestyle - a common area in the office or at home in a place where paper and mail tends to pile up.

NeatConnect further extends Neat’s cloud-based Digital Filing System by scanning documents, receipts, and business cards directly to NeatCloud®. Scanning directly to NeatCloud ensures documents go through optical character recognition (OCR) and Neat patented parsing technology enabling the many capabilities that make Neat the leader in the Digital Filing System category, such as:

• Sync - Synchronize information automatically across desktop and mobile devices.
• Access - View files on any internet connected device including a smartphone, tablet or computer.
• Organize - Add, edit and move folders within your Digital Filing System making it simple to quickly locate and access your information.
• Edit - Revise data fields and add notes to receipts, business cards and documents.
• Search - Sort, filter and find the items and folders in your Digital Filing System based on date, keyword or item type.
• Share & Collaborate - Share any document or folder with anyone and comment back and forth on items for easy collaboration.
• Activate - Create professional expense, tax and spending reports directly within Neat; or export information to other services such as QuickBooks, Quicken or TurboTax.

For more on this new scanner from Neat, click here.

 

Small Business IP Phone Services: A Guide To Choosing The Right System For Your Business

Up until the ’90s, phone systems were very boring. They simply weren’t anything you ever had a conversation about. So much has changed since then, and you’ll notice how much enthusiasm is expressed now by people who have the know-how on telecommunications. Phones have never failed to maintain their title as the most monumental devices, even in the 21st century. But choosing a telephone service for your business can be confusing. Here’s I’ll explain what IP phone services are, how they differ from one another and which might work best for your business.

With internet service providers handing out subscription packages like candy, what was traditionally run on four wires (simple telephone systems) is now running on eight (telephone IP systems). Those four extra wires in your Ethernet cable make a world of difference in a new era of telephone communications. Let’s talk a little bit about them.

There Are Two Types of IP-Based Phone Services

In principle, you have a choice between two different types of services: straightforward voice over IP (VoIP) and a private branch exchange (PBX). The latter is often based on VoIP, and consequentially may be called IP PBX. Both of them may operate on the internet, but non-IP PBX systems use standard phone lines.

The most straightforward type of line you may choose is a simple VoIP service. These services offer a single line that lets you call other phones or receive calls. It’s otherwise known as a soft phone. It works just like a regular phone at home, and often times these VoIP services are simply regular phone lines moved into the internet by using special protocols.

The other type of service you’ll encounter is a private branch exchange, or PBX. These services provide multiple lines within your businesses branching from one phone number (hence the term “branch”). This type of telephone exchange is similar to the exchanges used by large phone companies to route calls between different subscribers, except that you’re running a miniature line within your premises. Each line has its own extension. You may be familiar with these already if you’ve ever tried to reach someone directly within a large company.

The Costs and Benefits

This is probably the moment you’ve been waiting for. As you’ve been reading this, you surely have been asking yourself, “All these things look fine, but how much service do I get for each dollar I spend?” I’m sure you already know that this is a very complicated question to answer. There’s no magic formula for this kind of question, but you can certainly make the decision on your own with a little information.

First of all, let’s talk about simple VoIP services:

• They’re usually relatively cheap.
• Some of them have very innovative features such as call forwarding to particular numbers that can actually help you emulate a PBX at a very low cost (remember this, since I’ll mention a service later that can do this).
• Although VoIP may be more affordable than its big brothers (UC and PBX), you find yourself missing out on tons of innovative advantages that could give you the competitive edge you need to gain customer trust.

That said, let’s look at a few examples of simple VoIP services:

• Vonage - If you’re looking for a little VoIP magic without all the fuzziness of a complex phone system, Vonage offers a solution that may warm your heart. They advertise a $9.99/month plan but this is only for the first three months (if you agree to sign up for a one-year obligation). Your subscription will cost $26.99 per line per month after that. If you choose “Vonage World,” you’ll also be able to call landlines in 60 different countries and mobiles in 10 for this price. As far as VoIP services go, this one really fits the bill for businesses with international customers. It’s cheap, it’s sleek, and it’s simple to integrate into your already-existing internet connection.
• Telzio - It used to be known as IVR Buddy, but has since changed its name to sound cooler. And that’s not without merit, because this one’s a very cool service! Telzio lives by its logo: Make your small business sound big. It does this by using a flowchart system where you can set up a tech-support-type environment where customers dial numbers on their phones to access different parts of a menu. You can see the flowchart in action for yourself with their demo (the link is on the top of their page). As you construct the menu, you can configure interactions that guide your customer through the process of finding their way to help. You can also configure certain options in the menu to forward the call to a phone number. This way, you can have a mobile support team available during working hours. This system is yours for $9.99 per number.

Now that you’ve had a taste of the VoIP market, let’s introduce PBX:

• Businesses with PBX systems have a single phone number for customers, which leads to much less confusion.
• Cloud-based “virtual” PBX systems are much more lightweight and don’t require the hassle that previous systems needed to integrate. This eliminates the stigma that made PBX the boogeyman of telecommunications.
• A good PBX will give you a certain degree of flexibility. They also operate on current hardware, making them a breeze to work with.
• Sometimes, they can be a bit expensive for the smallest of businesses, and some of their features are unnecessary to these establishments, making services like Telzio more attractive.

Now, let’s have a look at a few of these services:

• RingCentral Cloud PBX - RingCentral offers many products, but among them is a highly-sophisticated PBX system at small business prices. They offer you a menu system with an automatic receptionist, extension management, SMS, and access via tablets and smartphones. Using RingCentral, you’ll give an outward impression of utmost professionalism that builds the kind of rapport you want from your customers. The  toll-free (800) number included in this PBX shows you really mean business and are willing to go at great lengths to establish a line of communication with your customer. That said, their smallest plan starts at $24.99 per month per user and offers you 1000 toll-free minutes with unlimited fax, SMS, and conferencing.
• Virtual PBX - What if you had a PBX system that ran like a VoIP service, and offered you the same advantages that any PBX provide would? Virtual PBX does just this. It gives you the equivalent of a virtual contact center that operates on the cloud. You also get voicemail, fax, virtual extensions, custom greetings, an automatic receptionist, day/night modes, a music jukebox, a toll-free number, call blocking, and call screening. Like Telzio, Virtual PBX can route calls to any kind of phone, which allows for a mobile workforce to operate efficiently. For more than one line, its plans start at $23.99 per month per line. The price goes down to $20.99/month/line if you add 20 or more lines.

Decisions, Decisions

No one said it was going to be a piece of cake to choose between services. But at least you now know the kinds of services you can use and how each one runs miles to serve your business. There’s no universally “correct” choice here. There’s only what is right for your business and, most importantly, for your customers.

4 Businesses That Use Social Media for Growth

Social media remains a critical method of spreading the word about your business, no matter what kind of business it may be.

In fact, an infograghic compiled by Udemy shows how marketers use social media to get potential customers talking about their products and services. The most popular social channels for marketers in the U.S. have been Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the Udemy infographic indicates.

So how can your business use social media to spread the word about what you do?

See how five diverse businesses use social media for growth, to effectively spread messages in different ways.

Seamless

Seamless is an online service that helps customers order food from local restaurants. The site features 12,000 menus and discounts, deals, and new restaurants are added continuously.

The site has created huge social media followings on multiple channels with a simple “Let’s Be Friends” social app on it landing page. The feature has helped Seamless amass more than 338,087 fans on Facebook and 72,611 followers on Twitter, and 1,898 +1s on Google Plus.

What’s more, Seamless gives customers a reason for following. The site’s Facebook presence (pictured above) includes an “order now” page, tabs for monthly sweepstakes, a referral program, a hiring page, a dedicated video page, and a download page for the site’s mobile apps.

The Mermaid Inn

Of course, you don’t need to be a tech firm to take advantage of the power of social media to market your business.

The Mermaid Inn and Mermaid Oyster Bar with three locations in Manhattan, demonstrates how a brick and mortar business can use the power of social media effectively.

The restaurant uses embedded YouTube videos by executive chef Lawrence Edleman who offers a “cooking school” showing how to prepare some of The Mermaid Inn’s seafood recipes.

The business also actively promotes its brand on Tumblr, Google Plus, Twitter, and, of course, Facebook, where the gallery section is used to display an assortment of restaurant favorites.

Hestia Tobacco

A tobacco company may not be the most glamorous brand to market these days. But small independent Hestia Tobacco has use social media to put a new spin on old and sometimes unpopular product.

In fact, so unique is the tabacco company’s approach, that it earned a write up from Crain’s Social Media Group a division of Crane Communications, a leading business publishing company.

The company’s Facebook fan page is a doorway to its whole social media presence.

Not only does the fan page feature a gallery of images including the company’s creative logo. But the page links directly to Hestia’s Twitter and Instagram feeds as well, allowing social media followers to navigate easily through all the various channels finding the content that appeals to them the most.

Branch

Branch is a startup business that doesn’t simply use social media to promote a product or service. It uses social media conversations themselves as the products or services. Here’s how.

The new social site lets you sign in for an account or simply use your Twitter sign in and then begin a conversation with others on Branch. The site allows groups divided into categories like customers, experts and communities give feedback to larger brands.

Users simply take content from anywhere on the Web â€" be it a YouTube videos, story in the New York Times or a blog post on WordPress and start a conversation a conversation about it on Branch.

These conversations can then can be “published” anywhere by providing a link or embedding the conversation or “branch” on another website or blog.

Social media can help you grow your business in many ways.  Here are four goals to help you boost your social media efforts big time today.

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Small Business IP Phone Services: A Guide To Choosing The Right System For Your Business

Up until the ’90s, phone systems were very boring. They simply weren’t anything you ever had a conversation about. So much has changed since then, and you’ll notice how much enthusiasm is expressed now by people who have the know-how on telecommunications. Phones have never failed to maintain their title as the most monumental devices, even in the 21st century. But choosing a telephone service for your business can be confusing. Here’s I’ll explain what IP phone services are, how they differ from one another and which might work best for your business.

With internet service providers handing out subscription packages like candy, what was traditionally run on four wires (simple telephone systems) is now running on eight (telephone IP systems). Those four extra wires in your Ethernet cable make a world of difference in a new era of telephone communications. Let’s talk a little bit about them.

There Are Two Types of IP-Based Phone Services

In principle, you have a choice between two different types of services: straightforward voice over IP (VoIP) and a private branch exchange (PBX). The latter is often based on VoIP, and consequentially may be called IP PBX. Both of them may operate on the internet, but non-IP PBX systems use standard phone lines.

The most straightforward type of line you may choose is a simple VoIP service. These services offer a single line that lets you call other phones or receive calls. It’s otherwise known as a soft phone. It works just like a regular phone at home, and often times these VoIP services are simply regular phone lines moved into the internet by using special protocols.

The other type of service you’ll encounter is a private branch exchange, or PBX. These services provide multiple lines within your businesses branching from one phone number (hence the term “branch”). This type of telephone exchange is similar to the exchanges used by large phone companies to route calls between different subscribers, except that you’re running a miniature line within your premises. Each line has its own extension. You may be familiar with these already if you’ve ever tried to reach someone directly within a large company.

The Costs and Benefits

This is probably the moment you’ve been waiting for. As you’ve been reading this, you surely have been asking yourself, “All these things look fine, but how much service do I get for each dollar I spend?” I’m sure you already know that this is a very complicated question to answer. There’s no magic formula for this kind of question, but you can certainly make the decision on your own with a little information.

First of all, let’s talk about simple VoIP services:

• They’re usually relatively cheap.
• Some of them have very innovative features such as call forwarding to particular numbers that can actually help you emulate a PBX at a very low cost (remember this, since I’ll mention a service later that can do this).
• Although VoIP may be more affordable than its big brothers (UC and PBX), you find yourself missing out on tons of innovative advantages that could give you the competitive edge you need to gain customer trust.

That said, let’s look at a few examples of simple VoIP services:

• Vonage - If you’re looking for a little VoIP magic without all the fuzziness of a complex phone system, Vonage offers a solution that may warm your heart. They advertise a $9.99/month plan but this is only for the first three months (if you agree to sign up for a one-year obligation). Your subscription will cost $26.99 per line per month after that. If you choose “Vonage World,” you’ll also be able to call landlines in 60 different countries and mobiles in 10 for this price. As far as VoIP services go, this one really fits the bill for businesses with international customers. It’s cheap, it’s sleek, and it’s simple to integrate into your already-existing internet connection.
• Telzio - It used to be known as IVR Buddy, but has since changed its name to sound cooler. And that’s not without merit, because this one’s a very cool service! Telzio lives by its logo: Make your small business sound big. It does this by using a flowchart system where you can set up a tech-support-type environment where customers dial numbers on their phones to access different parts of a menu. You can see the flowchart in action for yourself with their demo (the link is on the top of their page). As you construct the menu, you can configure interactions that guide your customer through the process of finding their way to help. You can also configure certain options in the menu to forward the call to a phone number. This way, you can have a mobile support team available during working hours. This system is yours for $9.99 per number.

Now that you’ve had a taste of the VoIP market, let’s introduce PBX:

• Businesses with PBX systems have a single phone number for customers, which leads to much less confusion.
• Cloud-based “virtual” PBX systems are much more lightweight and don’t require the hassle that previous systems needed to integrate. This eliminates the stigma that made PBX the boogeyman of telecommunications.
• A good PBX will give you a certain degree of flexibility. They also operate on current hardware, making them a breeze to work with.
• Sometimes, they can be a bit expensive for the smallest of businesses, and some of their features are unnecessary to these establishments, making services like Telzio more attractive.

Now, let’s have a look at a few of these services:

• RingCentral Cloud PBX - RingCentral offers many products, but among them is a highly-sophisticated PBX system at small business prices. They offer you a menu system with an automatic receptionist, extension management, SMS, and access via tablets and smartphones. Using RingCentral, you’ll give an outward impression of utmost professionalism that builds the kind of rapport you want from your customers. The  toll-free (800) number included in this PBX shows you really mean business and are willing to go at great lengths to establish a line of communication with your customer. That said, their smallest plan starts at $24.99 per month per user and offers you 1000 toll-free minutes with unlimited fax, SMS, and conferencing.
• Virtual PBX - What if you had a PBX system that ran like a VoIP service, and offered you the same advantages that any PBX provide would? Virtual PBX does just this. It gives you the equivalent of a virtual contact center that operates on the cloud. You also get voicemail, fax, virtual extensions, custom greetings, an automatic receptionist, day/night modes, a music jukebox, a toll-free number, call blocking, and call screening. Like Telzio, Virtual PBX can route calls to any kind of phone, which allows for a mobile workforce to operate efficiently. For more than one line, its plans start at $23.99 per month per line. The price goes down to $20.99/month/line if you add 20 or more lines.

Decisions, Decisions

No one said it was going to be a piece of cake to choose between services. But at least you now know the kinds of services you can use and how each one runs miles to serve your business. There’s no universally “correct” choice here. There’s only what is right for your business and, most importantly, for your customers.

Alibaba Vows to Battle Counterfeits and Fakes

For years eBay has been taking heat from brands for allowing the sale of counterfeit goods via its marketplace.  High end brands such as Tiffany and L’Oreal â€" to name just two â€" claimed eBay hadn’t done enough to crack down on sales of counterfeit items. Legal tussles ensued.  Sometimes eBay won, and other times eBay came up on the losing end in such disputes.

In recent years, eBay has taken a number of steps to address the counterfeit issue, including close cooperation with law enforcement, brands and industry associations to police counterfeits.  For instance, it partnered with the fashion industry on the “You Can’t Fake Fashion” campaign.  And it has policies against counterfeiting and is said to take strong action against merchants when the brand owner reports counterfeits.

But counterfeiting isn’t a problem just on eBay. These days, you may be hearing about a different marketplace in connection with counterfeit goods.  With its 71% jump in quarterly sales, Alibaba, a China-based eCommerce site, has also seen a rise in the problem of counterfeit goods.

The Alibaba.com site is largely a wholesale marketplace.  Typical transactions may involve small businesses in the West buying wholesale from suppliers in China, through Alibaba.

The small businesses may then turn around and resell the items via Ebay and other retail eCommerce sites to consumers, for a profitable markup.

The trouble is that some items, particularly brand-name products like iPads or flash media cards, may not be all they are cracked up to be.  Items bearing the name of Apple or other trusted brands may be fake.  If you buy those counterfeit items wholesale, and then turn around to resell them, at the very least you could end up with customer complaints, chargebacks and lost money when you have to give refunds.  Even worse, your eBay or other eCommerce account could be shut down â€" and you could find yourself hip deep in legal hot water. (Read more about consequences of selling counterfeit goods.)

And then there’s the issue of the nearly 1 million Etsy artisans, who may find their handmade goods copied and sold in bulk on Alibaba.  In that case, the small business may be the direct victim of counterfeiting on Alibaba.

Alibaba has vowed to crack down on fakes.  Alibaba’s management is partnering with government officials to tackle the counterfeiting issue, The Wall Street Journal reports.  It comes in advance of an anticipated IPO that Alibaba has been planning for either late 2013 or 2014. Running a marketplace credible with consumers is crucial.

Company officials are meeting with brands, industry groups and government officials in the U.S. to discuss ongoing problems including violation of intellectual property rights.  Alibaba also has created a section on its site with information about safe buying.  And Alibaba appears to be cooperating more with brand owners.

However, fighting counterfeit products is a never-ending effort. It’s a complex problem. And it cannot be stamped out in one step.

Counterfeiting is not just an issue for large brands, either.  Small businesses have to be proactive.

If you are an Etsy artisan or a brand owner, be sure to scan marketplaces regularly to spot fakes and infringement of your intellectual property.  Even if you sell a small number of items in your spare time, you are not immune to being the victim of counterfeiting.  Document it and report it to the marketplace. You may even be able to work with US Customs to seize counterfeit goods that violate your intellectual property rights.

When you are sourcing wholesale goods, go into it with eyes open to potential fakes.  The consequences of buying and then reselling counterfeit goods could be severe.

To see just how you could get “taken” as a buyer, view the video below showing a counterfeit iPad purchased through Alibaba.

 

Counterfeit Photo via Shutterstock

4 Upgrade Solutions for a Mobile Friendly Website

This statistic only confirms what we have known all along - a mobile friendly website is a must-have for every business, including local and smaller businesses. Ramon Ray recently posted this message on Facebook, “If your web site does NOT look good on your phone - it does not LOOK good to many of your customers - ensure your web site is MOBILE ready!”.

You only have to look at your own behavior as a customer when searching for information on a local business. A website which is incompatible with your mobile phone is summarily disregarded as you move on to the next business on the list. As per Andrew Allison, co-CEO at Main Street Hub (an online reputation management platform focused on smaller businesses), “Today’s local consumers are hopping on their smart phones for information about local businesses at an increasing rate, yet local businesses are not keeping up with this shift”.

To ease this transition from desktop to mobile friendly websites,  Main Street Hub has launched HubSites. Hubsites give businesses the option of an attractive mobile-friendly landing page with a link to the company’s website. It includes the following features:

• A click to call button (refer image above)
• Live feed from Twitter
• Positive feed from Yelp on the business
• Google maps integration
• Option for connecting with the business through social media and email

Priced at $99 a month, Hubsite is available as an optional feature with the company’s social media management packages which vary from $249 to $399 a month. So the minimum cost of acquiring this service is $348 a month.

Businesses looking for a more affordable option can also check out bMobilized. What’s interesting is that bMobilized has collaborated with MobilizingUSA to convert millions of American small and medium business websites to mobile friendly formats. So in fact the mobile version of your website may already be available on bMobilized, which can be customized using a variety of online tools and plugins.  

Bjorn Holte, founder of bMobilized said, ”Our new platform will hopefully solve a huge problem for business owners who simply can’t afford to hire expensive vendors that charge thousands of dollars to build even a basic mobile Web site, let alone a native mobile app”. 

After the free 7- day trial, you will be levied a monthly charge of $9. To know more of how it works, watch this video.

Incidentally, Google recommends the following two multi- screen vendors for seamless access across all mobile devices:

• Mobify starts at $495 for up to 25,000 mobile page views per month and
• Moovweb which has a free plan for up to 20,000 mobile views a month

A mobile friendly website is essential to offering a seamless experience for existing customers as well as ensuring that no matter where your potential customers are, their reach to you is only a click away.

 

4 Upgrade Solutions for a Mobile Friendly Website

This statistic only confirms what we have known all along - a mobile friendly website is a must-have for every business, including local and smaller businesses. Ramon Ray recently posted this message on Facebook, “If your web site does NOT look good on your phone - it does not LOOK good to many of your customers - ensure your web site is MOBILE ready!”.

You only have to look at your own behavior as a customer when searching for information on a local business. A website which is incompatible with your mobile phone is summarily disregarded as you move on to the next business on the list. As per Andrew Allison, co-CEO at Main Street Hub (an online reputation management platform focused on smaller businesses), “Today’s local consumers are hopping on their smart phones for information about local businesses at an increasing rate, yet local businesses are not keeping up with this shift”.

To ease this transition from desktop to mobile friendly websites,  Main Street Hub has launched HubSites. Hubsites give businesses the option of an attractive mobile-friendly landing page with a link to the company’s website. It includes the following features:

• A click to call button (refer image above)
• Live feed from Twitter
• Positive feed from Yelp on the business
• Google maps integration
• Option for connecting with the business through social media and email

Priced at $99 a month, Hubsite is available as an optional feature with the company’s social media management packages which vary from $249 to $399 a month. So the minimum cost of acquiring this service is $348 a month.

Businesses looking for a more affordable option can also check out bMobilized. What’s interesting is that bMobilized has collaborated with MobilizingUSA to convert millions of American small and medium business websites to mobile friendly formats. So in fact the mobile version of your website may already be available on bMobilized, which can be customized using a variety of online tools and plugins.  

Bjorn Holte, founder of bMobilized said, ”Our new platform will hopefully solve a huge problem for business owners who simply can’t afford to hire expensive vendors that charge thousands of dollars to build even a basic mobile Web site, let alone a native mobile app”. 

After the free 7- day trial, you will be levied a monthly charge of $9. To know more of how it works, watch this video.

Incidentally, Google recommends the following two multi- screen vendors for seamless access across all mobile devices:

• Mobify starts at $495 for up to 25,000 mobile page views per month and
• Moovweb which has a free plan for up to 20,000 mobile views a month

A mobile friendly website is essential to offering a seamless experience for existing customers as well as ensuring that no matter where your potential customers are, their reach to you is only a click away.

 

The Benefits of Bundling IT Services

Juggling three or more business services from several companies can add up to one unnecessary headache to manage. The solution to this problem may be as easy as getting all your services from the same company where possible.

Bundling IT services is an option offered by some service providers that will allow you to combine different services into one bill. It frequently includes Internet, TV and phone services. Some offer additional complementary services such as online security software, a basic web hosting package and even email addresses. Beyond that, you get into networking service, dedicated Ethernet and more.

Will I Currently and in the Future Have the Right Levels of Each Service?

The first thing you need to consider is what you need â€" not only right now, but in the future as you grow.

Can your service provider deliver the essential services you need now, affordably?

What about growth? Will you able to grow with the service provider? As your company grows from, say, a small business with a couple of employees, to one with 25, 50, 100 or more - will your service provider be able to provide enterprise-grade services that scale seamlessly, yet at prices a smaller organization can afford?

For phone service, consider what you need, especially if you have such special needs as a call center or remote workers that need to be tied in with the central phone system.

For television, consider both your business and client needs for the service. Does the package you have provide you the latest financial updates, weather reports and news? Does it provide for the right type of lobby entertainment whether there are small children or an adult audience? These small considerations can make a large impact on clients who may be in a waiting room setting.

For high speed Internet access, pricing usually varies by download speed. But your speed, really your bandwidth, is one of the most crucial tools in any office or business environment. Where time is money and your ability to get work done is dependent on the size of the internet pipe versus the number of users sharing it, finding a bundle with that extra speed is not just a desire, it becomes a necessity.

Consider These Benefits of a Single Provider, Single Bill

Service providers who can provide multiple services, can bring considerable benefits. Good reasons to buy a package of services from one provider include:

Simplified Administration

Yes, it’s possible to cobble together a number of services from different providers. But then you miss out on the benefits of a single provider â€" one of them being fewer administrative headaches. When your business is growing, every hour you spend on administration is an hour you don’t have for other activities that lead directly to business growth.

In small businesses, in particular, where you don’t have a deep management team â€" but rather have a few people wearing multiple hats â€" there’s quantifiable benefit to keeping your administrative activities as streamlined as possible.

It’s more efficient when you have one company to deal with. Typically you achieve a lower learning curve, easier to manage billing, and less complexity overall. Rather than hassle with multiple phone calls, multiple services and multiple bills to manage every month, enjoy a relationship with one company.

Faster to Set Up

Slow speed of implementation is one of those bottlenecks that can negatively affect growing businesses. The more time spent investigating and scoping out services from a multitude of providers, and making sure any services that need to interact together do so seamlessly, the longer it takes to implement a system.

With one provider, everything is simpler. You often gain speed to put in place new services.

Ability to Scale

It’s not just the initial implementation you want to consider. Your growth plans need to be taken into account.

At various points, as your business grows, you may be looking to update, expand capacity or add on new services. The more different service providers you are dealing with, the more complex it can be to upgrade and expand. You want the ability to scale growth - not put unnecessary obstacles in your path.

So as you review service providers, look at their ability to provide the kind of services that will help you grow fast, as you need them. The right service provider can not only help you scale with high quality Internet services, but also connect multiple locations together seamlessly, and assure the performance you need without prohibitive equipment and labor expenses.

That way you don’t have to keep investigating new providers, but can make one phone call to get the ball rolling to meet future needs.

Save Money

Service providers may offer discounts if you buy several services from them.

Service providers have an incentive to want to get one customer to buy more from them, and will offer discounts to make sure that happens. Just like with your own business, acquiring new customers costs money. So, maximizing the number of services provided to a single customer helps keep their internal costs in line.

That means, you have your service provider right where you want them: Offering you the best deals. Bundling IT services gives you more price leverage with your service provider. Buying one service here, and one service with another provider, may simply not get you to the same overall price benefit.

One Final Piece of Advice

If you are interested in bundling IT services, take extra time to research your business needs. Pay close attention to your calling habits, the amount of bandwidth you need, etc. Bundling IT services can save you a ton of money and time - but only if you are careful to seek out the exact package that best fits your individual needs.

Be sure to compare total costs, including hardware and any activation fees. Ask others what they’re paying, check ads and websites, and call. Calculate your costs â€" and this can be a great way to simplify your work life and deliver better results for your company.

The lesson: Do your homework! It can pay off.

Bundle Photo via Shutterstock