Silk Road site shut down by FBI

US authorities said Wednesday they had arrested the owner of the Silk Road website, where illegal drugs were bought and sold using the virtual currency Bitcoin.

Ross William Ulbricht, also known as "Dread Pirate Roberts," was arrested on Tuesday in San Francisco after the website was shut down, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Prosecutors said they seized approximately $US3.6 million worth of Bitcoins in the largest ever seizure of the virtual currency.

"The Silk Road website has served as a sprawling black market bazaar where illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services have been regularly bought and sold by the site's users," FBI special agent Christopher Tarbell said in a criminal complaint filed in a federal court.

From about January 2011, Ulbricht ran a marketplace that hawked heroin, cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamine as well as hacker tools such as software for stealing passwords or logging keystrokes on people's machines, according to the court documents.

Prosecutors also charged that in March of this year, Ulbricht tried to hire someone to kill a Silk Road user who threatened to expose the identities of others using the website.

"The defendant deliberately set out to establish an online criminal marketplace outside the reach of law enforcement and government regulation," Tarbell said in the legal filing.

Ulbricht, 29, anonymised Silk Road transactions by using a Tor computer network designed to make it almost impossible to locate computers used to host or access websites.

He also added a Bitcoin "tumbler" to the Silk Road payment system that foiled efforts to trace digital currency back to buyers, according to the criminal complaint.

"Silk Road has emerged as the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the internet today," the criminal complaint contended.

"The site has sought to make conducting illegal transactions as easy and fri ctionless as shopping online at mainstream e-commerce websites."

Prosecutors maintained that Silk Road has been used by thousands of drug dealers to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal wares to more than 100,000 buyers and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten profits.

Silk Road took in commissions ranging from eight to 15 per cent of sales, raking in at least $80 million on more than $1.2 billion worth of transactions, the criminal complaint estimated.

Ulbricht controlled the website, serving as "captain" and using a handful of online "administrators" as his staff, investigators said.

Federal agents in New York posed as buyers to shop at the website, successfully ordering an array of illegal goods, according to the complaint.

As of last month, Silk Road featured about 13,000 listings for controlled substances, with offers coming under headings such as "High Quality 4 Heroin All Rock" and "UNCUT Crystal Cocaine," the legal filing said.

Services for sale at Silk Road included hacking into accounts at Twitter, Facebook or other social networks and tutorials for cracking bank teller machines, the complaint contended.

The legal filing also told of Silk Road offers to sell stolen credit card data, forged IDs, and for "hitmen" in 10 countries.

The website had seller and buyer guides that were described as including advice about how not to get caught by using tactics such as shipping drugs in sealed plastic containers to avoid scent detection or having narcotics delivered to a friend's house instead of the buyer's home.

Silk Road last year added a "stealth mode" for vendors who considered themselves "at risk of becoming a target for law enforcement," according to the complaint.

As of July of this year, Silk Road had just shy of a million registered users, with 30 per cent of them indicating they were in the US and the rest spread about the globe, prosecuto rs said.

Habits of Online Shoppers That You Should Know

Online customers are becoming important to most businesses. For example, in a recent Nielson Global Survey more than 85 percent of the world's online population has already used the Internet to make purchases.

But what do we really know about online consumer shopping habits and their preferences? What they buy and why?

Our small business community has some answers you may find helpful.

Mars and Venus: Not All Online Shoppers are the Same

As you might expect, online buyers differ in many ways. But one of the greatest differences online merchants should be aware of is the difference between male and female online shoppers.

In many areas, men and women differ little in their online shopping habits, reports Rieva Lesonsky. For example, the majority of purchases by both genders (87 percent in the case of men and 82 percent of women) are made from desktops.

Also most online shoppers, regardless of gender (84 percent of women and 81 percent of men) make online purchases at home.

So where do men and women differ in terms of online shopping habits?

The big difference is how they tend to find products online. Specifically, women are more likely to respond to marketing emails while men are more likely to find products while surfing online.

Many Online Shoppers are Easily Distracted

Online shoppers are easily distracted as demonstrated by the number of abandoned online shopping carts.

For example, Ilana Bercovitz, a social media and marketing professional, reflects on the need to retarget online shoppers due to distraction:

Consider how distracted we are as we do online research or purchasing. Phone calls, emails, or chat windows regularly interrupt me, for example. These interruptions result in my abandoning a shopping cart or forgetting what I was doing entirely.

Most commonly, retargeting involves use of a cookie allowing a site you have visited and shown interest in to “follow you” with relevant ads online to lead you back to the site.

Bercovitz lists a number of companies offering services allowing you to set up your own retargeting campaigns. They include Google Remarketing, AdRoll, Fetchback and Bercovitz's own Retargeter.

Do you need a way to bring online shoppers back to your site in order to make a purchase?

Online Buyers Use Multiple Devices

Online consumer shopping habits indicate that online buyers are also more unlikely to find your product or service via just one device than probably ever before. In fact, an estimated 90 percent of consumers today use multiple screens (smartphone, laptop, tablet) during the day. And this includes when they're looking at your website and possibly buying a product or signing up for a survice.

Web design professional William Johnson talks about the need to develop a multi-screen ecommerce strategy.

Johnson quotes data suggesting that today 65 percent of purchases begin on a smartphone, while 25 percent begin on a laptop and 11 percent start on a tablet. Johnson reports most of the customers who make these purchases will use multiple devices to visit a site before making their final decision.

Many Online Shoppers Are Still Looking for the Best Deals

Just like shoppers offline, shoppers visiting your website will be looking for deals. And they will likely make a purchase on another site if you don't offer the right price.

Rieva Lesonsky shares a few more details about how consumers buy online. She explains:

The good news for retailers is that more than 50 percent of consumers feel confident about spending. Overall, 28 percent feel free to spend, and 31 percent expect to spend more than they did in the previous month.

But Lesonsky days that doesn't mean online consumers will spend more than they have to or that they aren't looking for the best price they can find.

For example, 75 percent of online shoppers polled recently said price was a factor in their latest purchase, she said. And 79 percent of those consumers said they bought from the site where they found the best price.

Here are some other things online merchants should keep in mind about online consumer shopping habits, Lesonsky said:

• 6 out of 10 online shoppers bought products on sale.
• 54 percent ordered from sites with free shipping.
• 33 percent used coupons provided by online merchants for their purchases.

Showrooming is Not a Big Factor

Despite all the complaints coming from brick and mortar retailers, most online shoppers still don't do much “showrooming” it seems. This refers to the supposedly popular practice of visiting a retail store, looking at a product and then finding a cheaper version online.

But does this really happen all that much?  Not exactly.

According to Lesonsky, 78 percent of online shoppers don't look at a product in a store before buying it online. Only 12 percent look at a product in a store then buy it from the same retailer online. And just 10 percent see products in the store and later buy them elsewhere.

Shopping Photo via Shutterstock

Small Business Should Pay Attention to Big Data

Big data is big news. Everyday a wealth of digital information is generated by people around the world through emails, blogs, social media posts, online credit card purchases, cell phone usage and more. According to IBM, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated daily and 90 percent of the total data in existence was created within the last two years.

Todd Taylor, NetStandard's Vice President of Hosted Technology, explained at IBM Edge2013 how this remarkable data growth offers businesses unlimited possibilities:

Business data will paint a true picture of business performance that goes beyond profit and loss statements…to display real-time performance in a global economy.

This information can then be translated into improved marketing, tailored services and cost savings.

Small Business, Big Data

While many large businesses have invested in big data technology, small businesses have been slow to take part. Taylor explains that while big data technologies might not seem appealing for businesses with limited resources, it is better for businesses to invest in analytics now, before their big data grows to unmanageable proportions.

Big data is more accessible than ever, thanks to a rise in cost-effective big data technologies. In addition to the well known Google Analytics and Google Adwords, there are many other free or low-priced technologies that are well suited for a range of small businesses.

Before investing and implementing big data technologies, small businesses should take stock of their existing data and their business objectives.

Personalized Business

In many ways, big data is making it possible for small businesses to return to their marketing roots.

In a recent Forbes article, Steve King, partner at Emergent Resources, explains how in the past:

. . .local shopkeepers. . .knew what their customers liked, right down to color, size and taste.

This personalization was lost for many businesses as their customer base became more culturally and geographically diverse, but now “big data is bringing back personalized service.”

So, when trying to harness big data, small businesses should select specific goals that relate to their business and their customers. The aforementioned Forbes article describes how some roofing companies use Google Earth to inspect the roofs of potential customers. This allows them to determine whether or not the repairs are feasible, saving them the time and money that would be required for an in-person inspection. It also gives them the information they need to market directly to other potential customers in the neighborhood.

Big Data Tools

In a recent interview, Anukool Lakhina, founder and CEO of Guavus, explains how small businesses already generate a wealth of useable big data through sales receipts, software-as-service applications, Excel spreadsheets and social media. The key is to connect the data together in a way that produces timely and actionable insights.

This is where affordable big data technologies come into play.

Most businesses, whether large or small, have a social media presence and sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are a ready source of customer data. Social Mention is a free tool that allows businesses to monitor social media sites for specific subjects. Users receive daily email alerts on online mentions of a subject of their choice, such as their company name, a competitor's name, a certain market trend or a certain keyword.

Business accounting software can also be a rich source of big data. QuickBooks Online offers a trends feature that allows companies to see how they are doing compared to industry averages. The trends feature compiles and organizes customer data to create overall industry trends. Users can then compare their income and expenses to those of similar businesses.

Once the data has been combined and analyzed, businesses should automate these processes for truly timely information. With targeted big data initiatives, small businesses can better tailor their services to their customers and grow their business.

Sea of Data Photo via Shutterstock

Seven of the Best Small Business Viral Marketing Campaigns

Many small businesses who have enjoyed the excitement of a viral marketing campaign will actually tell you that, although they wish they had been clever enough to plan it, it was an accident. There are certainly things you can do to try and create viral marketing campaigns, but these methods never offer any guarantees.

As a small business owner trying to create the next big thing, it's important to look at examples of successful viral marketing campaigns to see what you can learn.  Then give it a try yourself, see what happens â€" and then try, try again if necessary.

Viral Marketing Campaigns: What You Can Learn

For those who are unfamiliar, a viral campaign essentially means the spread of something (an idea, a particular ad, a song, etc.) organically, often by word of mouth. If you have created engaging content that gives readers a reason to share, that content or message has the potential to become viral. Therefore being seen by a lot more eyes than your typical campaigns. It can help you spread awareness of your message as well as increase leads and/or sales.

There are have been lots of successful viral marketing campaigns in the past in every industry, some of the most popular being the Old Spice commercials, the Gangnam style dance and The Blair Witch Project. Below lists 7 of the top viral marketing campaigns by small businesses:

Video Campaigns

1. Blendtec's Will It Blend Campaign

This marketing campaign is centered around a food blender. The campaign created a video that shows that the blender blends everything. Some of their most popular videos show blending expensive electronics like an iPhone.

Why it went viral: It capitalized on user's interest to watch quick and funny things on YouTube. It was shocking in 2006 and it still is today. It attracted 160 million views back when the campaign was first launched.

2. The Best Job Ever

This viral campaign is cool because it isn't funny or clever, just gives viewers what they want to see. Tourism Queensland launched the campaign in 2009. They hosted a contest where the winner would be paid $150,000 to tour the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Why it went viral: The ad went through YouTube so it was easy for people to hear about it while sitting in their cubicles. The offer was unique and the video made it seem so amazing that people were bound to apply, which then created a domino effect of success.

3. Burger King's Subservient Chicken Promotion

This campaign dates back to 2004, but many of the tactics the campaign used still apply today. The campaign started on TV and then moved to the Internet where people could request the chicken to do something and it would have to oblige. The idea here is “chicken the way you want it.”

Why it went viral: It was funny, unique, interactive â€" and the first of it's kind.

4. Golden Grahms Gold Grant

This campaign targeted college students and therefore used social media to fuel the fire. The company posted a series of animated videos that discussed things like job interviews that went wrong (but hilarious). It started with Twitter and then moved to YouTube gaining more than 2.5 million views.

Why it went viral: It was funny and the company knew exactly who the audience was and how to connect with that audience.

Traditional Ad Campaigns

5. Virgin Blue Tweets

The airline Virgin Blue decided to create an ad campaign on Twitter for their Virgin Australia branch. The deal was that because it was their 9th anniversary, they were going to give plane tickets away for $9 each through Twitter. They gave away 1,000 tickets but earned nearly 33,000 Twitter followers.

Why it went viral: This giveaway in 2009 was successful because it offered $9 tickets through a social media outlet. Not only was it enticing, it was also easier to get involved and easier for people to spread the word.

6. Threshers Viral Email

This campaign went viral in 2006 after the U.K. based liquor store sent an email marketing campaign intended only for suppliers that offered a 40 percent discount. The suppliers leaked the coupon and the store's website crashed.

Why it went viral: There is no denying this was a complete mistake. But it likely went viral because such a good deal was coming from suppliers who don't typically offer such a deal. While this isn't a classic example of something going viral, remember that it is possible.

7. Sporting Portugal

The soccer team wanted to boost ticket sales so they decided to setup a microsite where people could purchase tickets. You entered your name and phone number and then a video of the players during a pep talk would show up. The video would then stop and the coach would call you saying they needed you to come to the game. The site received 200,000 page views in just one day.

Why it went viral: This was all about interaction. It capitalized on the fact that fans love to see, and be a part of, anything behind the scenes of sporting events.

As a side note, the vast majority of successful viral marketing campaigns over the last decade were video advertisements. It was more of a struggle to find campaigns that didn't involve video when researching any new viral gems that I may have missed. Keep this in mind if you're setting out to specifically create something viral.

Also keep in mind the tactic of re-packaging quotes into viral content and capitalizing on viral infographics as well.

Do you know of any great viral marketing campaigns I may have missed?

5 Ways Belly-to-Belly Meetings Are Better for Business

Social media and other types of online networking have revolutionized business. You can connect with customers, clients and partners half way around the world.

But are there times when face to face, or as they are sometimes called, belly to belly meetings are still beneficial?

You bet, say members of the small business community.

Face to Face Meetings Accelerate Networking

First, career transition consultant and brand strategist Deborah Shane insists meeting people face to face accelerates the networking process.

She explains:

In 10 minutes I can learn more about someone, and they about me, in person than in six months online!

Plus Shane insists face to face meetings and online networking can work together. Each can drive the other strengthening the connection with someone you may have only known superficially.

If I meet you online and strike up an online relationship that has value and interest to me, then taking it offline is going to enhance that relationship and help it progress. If we meet in person, then staying connected online is going to enhance our relationship and help it progress until we meet in person again.

Meeting in Person Gives You a Broader Perspective

In addition, Shane says she can gain a broader perspective of a person when meeting face to face.

For example, a face to face conversation might more quickly help you and a person you are networking with find common ground as opposed to, say, liking their Facebook page.

Do you have common interests, hobbies, favorite books, shared peers, or even common life experiences? You could eventually find this out from having a look at favorite sites, shared connections or even a book review or personal anecdote posted on a blog.

But none of this is likely to happen as quickly as it will if you spend time just talking over lunch.

You can also put a plan in place to work together, finalize a course of action or decide on the next step in your business in only minutes in a face to face meeting, Shane said.

Face to Face Meetings Command our Full Attention

In the age of multitasking, social communication and even important business email is likely to be happening at the same time we're proofreading the latest blog post, listening to a podcast, watching part of a video, etc.

This is another reason face to face meetings are still important, writes Rieva Lesonsky, quoting from research on the subject.

Multitasking makes it unlikely we will have long term memory of the things we see and hear. Face to face events on the other hand stimulate our cognitive functions resulting in greater open mindedness and creativity, Lesonsky writes.

Meeting in Person Engages the Emotions

Apparently, the most important thing brands want from social engagement - a “positive emotional experience” - can only be achieved face to face. Lesonky explains:

An event that involves interacting with other people in the flesh creates a positive emotional experience. Those positive emotions become attached to the companies involved in the event, as well as contributing to make attendees more open to new experiences.

If this is the reaction you want from those with whom you network, a “like” on Facebook may not be enough.

Face to Face Meeting Build Trust

But ultimately, the most important reason face to face meetings remain important is the trust factor.

According to the data, you can share information virtually, Lesonky explains. But building relationships requires closer interaction. Research shows relationships built face to face are stronger, Lesonky reports.

If this is the goal of your networking activities - and it certainly should be - then face to face meetings become even more important.

Face to Face Photo via Shutterstock

How Health Care Reform Changes Impact the Small Business Owner

As an employer, you may find yourself thinking that you have yet to address health care reform requirements for your business. Some of you may be asking:

Why should I rush to meet guidelines and deadlines that seem to be constantly changing and being pushed back?

Well I have an answer - you should take action for your employees.

According to the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report, which sheds light on the attitudes, fears and expectations of workers when it comes to health care reform, employees have concerns about their benefit options and how health care reform may affect those benefits.

If you can quell their fears by establishing their benefits options sooner rather than later, you will find your workforce far more at ease about upcoming changes.

Common Employee Health Care Reform Concerns

Concern #1: It's Too Complicated to Understand

According to the Aflac study, three-quarters of workers (75 percent) believe health care reform is too complicated to understand. In addition, 72 percent believe their personal health insurance situation will become more complicated once reform takes place.

Concern #2: How Will I Be Affected?

About half (58 percent) of workers think the quality of their health care will improve. Many indicate they believe the new law will affect the scope and cost of their health care coverage, with the majority (83 percent) believing the medical costs they are responsible for will increase.

Concern #3: I'm Not Prepared Financially for the Changes

The reality is that many companies already shift a significant share of health care premiums to their workers, and many employers offer health insurance plans with significant deductibles.

Yet, only 23 percent of workers are saving money for potential increases in medical expenses and more than half of workers (55 percent) say they are doing nothing to prepare for changes to the health care system.

Concern #4: I Don't Know Enough to Effectively Manage My Health Care Options

The Aflac study found that more than half of workers (53 percent) think they may not adequately manage their health insurance coverage, leaving their family less protected than they are currently. A similar number (54 percent) would prefer not to have more control over health insurance expenses and options because they will not have the time or knowledge to manage it effectively.

High-level Recap of HCR Provisions for Small Businesses

These concerns are valid, but as a small business owner, you cannot address them until you make sure that you are well-versed in health care reform. Talk to your broker or agent to get all of the details, but use these provisions (if you own a business with fewer than 50 employees) as a starting point.

Small Business Health Option Program (SHOP) Marketplace

Small business employers are eligible to participate in the SHOP Marketplace in 2014. In the case of plan years beginning before Jan. 1, 2016, a state may elect to define small employer by substituting “50 employees” for “100 employees.”

New Summary of Benefits

As of Sept. 23, 2012, group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage have been required (PDF) to provide a summary of benefits and coverage under the applicable plan or coverage for annual enrollment periods.

Medical Loss Ratio Rebate Distribution

Major medical insurers that do not meet new medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements are required to issue rebates to policyholders no later than Aug. 1 following the end of the MLR reporting year (began in 2012).

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Limits

As of Jan. 1, 2013, employer-sponsored cafeteria plans have had to limit (PDF) employee annual salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending arrangements to $2,500.

Additional Medicare Withholding on Wages

A 0.9 percent additional Medicare tax went into effect in 2013, raising the Medicare tax rate for certain earners from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent.

New Medicare Assessment on Net Investment Income

As of 2013, a new 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax was applied to individuals, estates and trusts with net investment income and modified adjusted gross income above certain thresholds.

Waiting Period Limits

Beginning January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) restricts waiting periods to a maximum of 90 days.

Required Contribution to the Temporary Reinsurance Program

From January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016, a temporary reinsurance program for the individual insurance market will be funded by a required contribution from all health insurers and group health plans.

Employer Wellness Incentives

Health care reform increases the maximum permissible reward under a health-contingent wellness program, meaning individuals who participate in their company wellness programs and meet a specific health standard can gain larger rewards.

Health Insurance Coverage Reporting

Insurers, self-insured employers and other entities that provide “minimum essential coverage” to an individual during a calendar year must report certain health insurance coverage information to the IRS. Certain employers are also required to report information regarding the health coverage offered to their full-time employees.

Small Business Tax Credits

If your business employs 25 or fewer full-time equivalent workers with average wages of less than $50,000, your business may be eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

The material above is intended to provide general information about an evolving topic and does not constitute legal, tax or accounting advice regarding any specific situation. Aflac cannot anticipate all the facts that a particular employer or individual will have to consider in their benefits decision-making process.

I strongly encourage readers to discuss their HCR situations with their advisors to determine the actions they need to take or to visit HealthCare.gov (which may also be contacted at 1-800-318-2596) for additional information.

Health Care Photo via Shutterstock

Two Apps That Make Syncing Contacts To Your Mobile Device a Breeze

Smartphones are an indispensable communication device, but ensuring that all of your contacts that sit on your computer appear on your mobile device, and are up to date, can be tedious. This is where contact syncing applications can help. 

A contact syncing application automatically updates information on contacts listed on your mobile phone from other data points such as your business email, central business contact list and social networking accounts. We've talked about syncing applications before on Smallbiztechnology.com, but with technology changing so fast, and new services being introduced every day, we wanted to point out two new contact syncing applications that offer some unique benefits.

Easygrouper - There are several contact syncing applications in the market, but what sets the recently launched Easygrouper apart from the pack is that it simultaneously organizes and updates business contact lists on all mobile phones being used by your employees. Relevant business information including numbers, addresses, email and designation is stored in the cloud and pushed to the app activated mobile phones. Also instead of having to inform the administrative manager for a change of contact details, employees can can simply edit their contact profiles for the information to be updated on all devices at the same time. Of course contact information changes can also be managed centrally so that everyone in the office has the latest contact details. 

David Alison, Executive Vice President for the parent company of EasyGrouper LLC says, “I have a passion helping businesses succeed in today's competitive market. The inspiration for EasyGrouper was born out of my own personal frustration with not having critical company and employee information at my fingertips when I was out of the office. EasyGrouper solves that problem”.

With Easygrouper business contacts are automatically stored as a separate group. Groups can also be created based on business roles or geographical location. The application is a great way to share information, schedule meetings with employees that may not have a work email address or are constantly on the move. The status feature allows you to communicate your availability to other colleagues and with a single tap you can call, message or email a contact.

The application can be used at no cost for 45 days.The paid package starts at $15 a month for up to 25 users and the Easygrouper pro package, which starts at $30 a month, comes with the added feature of broadcast group messaging/ emailing. 

Syc.ME - Another increasingly popular free contact syncing application available for iOS and Android mobile devices. What makes this an effective app is the large number of users ( 7 million with more than 1 billion contacts synced per week). Each user defines a ‘Me card' which controls the information that others using the Sync.Me service can view. It automatically syncs your mobile phone with updates made by other Sync.Me users that are part of your contact list. It also shares information updated by your contacts on social networks such as Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. So you automatically get a profile picture, the latest employment information and contact details as well as birthday reminders all integrated on your mobile device.

For growing businesses with limited manpower resources, contact syncing application can reduce the administrative burden of manually updating vital business contact information.In addition, apps allow creative, and easy, ways to make the most of your contacts, like adding faces to the names. All of these apps and services provide a great way to manage your employees and client information while on the go, so you don't miss a beat!

Black Enterprise Small Business University Offers Four-Week Webinar Series For Entrepreneurs Looking to Start and Grow Small Businesses

AARP and Black Enterprise have teamed forces to launch the Black Enterprise Small Business University, a four-week online video course that offers expert advise to entrepreneurs looking to start and grow profitable small businesses. The Small Business University aims to assist entrepreneurs in three different stages of business development; the aspiring start-up, the part time entrepreneur, and those with an already established enterprise.

“Many Americans dream of owning their own business, sometimes as a second or third career, and using their creative talents to do productive work that also helps them gain economic stability,” said Edna Kane-Williams, AARP Vice President, Multicultural Markets and Engagement. “AARP looks forwards to collaborating with Black Enterprise to provide valuable resources and information that will help strengthen small businesses and encourage more entrepreneurs to reimagine their careers.”

Each week there will be three original video tutorials featuring a team of rotating business, marketing, branding and technology all-stars including ‘SmallBizLady Melinda Emerson, Vanguarde Consulting Group CEO Derrick Webster, Editor of Smallbiztechnology and Regional Director of Development for Infusionsoft Ramon Ray and Alfred Edmond Jr, SVP/Multimedia Editor at Large of Balck Enterprise.

The webinar series kicks off this coming Monday, October 7th, with “Crowdfunding and The Future of Small Business”. The rest of the schedule includes:

• Tuesday, October 8: What to Look for When Hiring a Lawyer
• Wednesday, October 9: Picking an Accountant That's Right for Your Business
• Monday, October 14: How to Properly Assess and Compete With Your Competition
• Tuesday, October 15: How to Determine Your Price point and Market Value
• Wednesday, October 16: How to Decide What Online Networks are Best for Your Business
• Monday, October 21: From Start to Finish: Your First Website
• Tuesday, October 22: How to Get Your Email Marketing Noticed
• Wednesday, October 23: The ABCs of Customer Relationships
• Monday, October 28: Cash flow Management: Keeping an Eye on Your Bottom Line
• Tuesday, October 29: Creating and Maintaining a Social Media Presence for Your Business
• Wednesday, October 30: Social Media Dos and Don'ts for Your Business

All courses offered through the Small Business University are free! You can register here for the Small Business University.

 

 

 

Chirpify Makes Leveraging Social Media Easier with #actiontag Hashtag

Businesses that use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the other popular social media platforms for marketing are growing accustomed to the value of  the hashtag. They can be used to gain visibility for a post, participate in ongoing conversations, or promote a specific event or product. Social media service Chirpify has come up with an even more valuable way for marketers to leverage these platforms to reach customers and increase sales and engagement.

With its new #actiontag service, Chirpify allows businesses to launch cross-channel campaigns. With this new offering, Chirpify is creating one-stop shopping for its clients, allowing customers to buy products, enter contests, or donate to a charity simply by using a designated #actiontag on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

“Today, hashtags are the new URL,” Chirpify CEO Chris Teso said in a press release announcing the new program. “The opportunity is leveraging those hashtags in what we call ‘real-world' settings with second screen devices. For example, a recent study claims about half of all smartphone and tablet owners use their device while they're watching TV. Chirpify's #actiontags connect the dots-in this case between TV ads and mobile devices.”

To get started, a Chirpify member sets up a new campaign and designates an #actiontag to be assigned to that campaign. The first part of the action tag will be something like #buy, #vote, or #enter. The second part designates the specific campaign assigned to that action. A red-carpet movie premier might be titled #RedCarpet2013. Those entering the contest would simply post “I would like to #enter #RedCarpet2013″ to be entered into the contest.

Businesses can also allow customers to buy through direct reply. A business could post, “Two tickets for tonight's show on sale for $19.99. Post #buy in comments to purchase now.” It's a great way to use social media to sell goods and services without setting up a store.

There are a couple of caveats to this service. 1) To buy items from you using a mere #actiontag, your customers will be required to set up a Chirpify account if they don't already have one, and 2) Chirpify will subtract a transaction fee from each payment. Each customer will have to provide payment information to Chirpify in order to begin purchasing.

Major companies using Chirpify include Forever 21, MasterCard, and NPR's Live Wire. Chirpify has offered businesses the opportunity to sell items through social media since February 2012, but #actiontags take the capabilities to the next level, allowing consumers to couple an action with a campaign hashtag (#buy #NFLTickets) to participate across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

SEO Experts: 5 Questions To Ask To Spot Who\'s Legit and Who\'s Taking You For a Ride

Most people who call themselves an SEO Expert (or worse, guru) are lying. The rules of Search Engine Optimization change too quickly for anyone to be a true expert. That also makes it hard for small business owners to figure out who's a real SEO expert, and who's looking to take you for a ride.

Mike Kawula, founder of Self Employed King once hired an SEO company for $1500 a month, but after 6 months he didn't see any boost in his site's ranking in his Google Analytics, or in the reports that the company sent. He started to suspect that they hadn't been doing any work at all. He changed the system password so they couldn't log in, but the reports and bills kept coming. Mike says, “Their website looked great, and our scheduled calls sounded professional.” But as soon as he confronted them about the lack of work, they hung up on him and cut off all contact.

At least all Kawula lost was his money. Some shady SEO practices can get a website blacklisted by Google, damaging the company's reputation and sales. Douglas Karr, the CEO of DK New Media has had to clean up after disreputable SEO companies. “Too many of our customers are stuck with bad backlinking schemes the SEO company used to drive ranking. Most of them were unaware of what was happening until we uncovered it. A single bad backlink can be responsible for your site not ranking well!”

So how do you find a reputable SEO expert who will help your small business instead of hurting it? Juan Vides, President of New York City SEO suggests researching potential SEO vendors just like you would a car or a house. “SEO can cost $5,000 to $10,000 a year. You could almost buy a car for that. You want to make sure this car's not a lemon.”

Vides thinks that small business owners should, “contact three or four companies and see what you can learn from them. Some will be more informative than others.” SEO is complicated and ever-changing, but it's not a secret and there are no proprietary tactics. Anyone who refuses to explain how they work either doesn't really understand SEO, or they don't want to be bothered educating their clients. Either way, they don't deserve your business.

Questions to Ask A Potential SEO Expert

 

Lori Riviere, owner of the marketing and PR agency, It Marketing Concepts says that you should ask for examples of past success. “Any SEO who has seen some success should be able to put together a case study relatively quickly. Tell them that you want to see some proof, with at least Google Analytics snapshots.”

Riviere also suggests asking “how Penguin 2.0 changed the game for SEO.” Penguin 2.0 was a major change to Google's search algorithms, and it completely changed the SEO game. You don't need to understand the details of Penguin 2.0, but any SEO expert you hire should. Riviere says this question is, “meant to flush out sites that benefit from link spam tactics. They should be telling you that Penguin 2.0 is much more sophisticated and on the hunt for spammy tactics, black hat tricks, keyword and keyword stuffing. Now you have to focus on quality content and quality back-links.”

Quality content is something that anyone can recognize and appreciate. Shanna Kurpe, Partner at Grasp, a digital marketing and software development company, has seen, “so-called SEO experts promise to create and distribute content on your behalf, but later they publish ‘articles' that are inaccurate, riddled with grammatical errors and difficult to read because every sentence includes ten keywords.” Although keyword-heavy gibberish may bring in some short-term traffic, Kurpe cautions, “what happens when a prospective client actually reads that garbage? Your professional image is much more important than a few extra inbound links.”  She recommends protecting your company's brand image by insisting on approving any content before it's distributed on behalf of your company. When an SEO Consultant names a few current clients, visit their sites to see if their content is high-quality.

Google announced an even more recent change, called Hummingbird, on September 29, 2013. It should take a few weeks for the SEO community to make sense of Hummingbird, so expect your SEO specialist to be aware of it, but be wary if they claim to fully understand it too soon.

Michael McDonald, an SEO Marketing Analyst at customized promotional products store, Promotions Now suggests asking how a a potential SEO vendor tracks the success of a campaign. “If the answers are just keyword rankings, then you have an SEO professional that does not see the complete picture. Keyword rankings are a means to an end…and that end is whatever goals a website owner has. Yes, rankings are important but that is just one piece of the puzzle.”

Shanna Kurpe, agrees that, “a real SEO expert will not just talk about the number of visitors to your website. You don't want to just attract a bunch of visitors, you want to attract a specific type of visitor â€" one that actually wants to do business with you and has the money to spend.”

Ask about what reports the SEO consultant creates to track progress, and how often they will provide those reports.

Red Flags to Look Out For

 

If an SEO consultant promises that they can get your website on the first page of Google's search results for a specific keyword, don't believe them. “They don't own Google,” Juan Vides says, so they can't possibly deliver on those promises.

Douglas Karr warns, “If they are not asking questions about your business, how you measure success, and providing feedback on how you capture and measure that business or leads â€" RUN.”

Once you've met with a few prospective SEO consultants, you should have a better understanding of what SEO is, how it can help your business, and who you can trust with your company's online reputation.

“Customers Should Be The Center of Your Universe”: Interview With Jodi Pereira, Co-Founder of Reply Manager

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Jodi Pereira, Co-founder of Reply Manager, at the ICE Retailer Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Jodi took the time to tell me a little bit more about her business and the services they provide to small business. She also shared her wisdom and advice on what the customers should mean to the business and how to most effectively manage that relationship with email.

You can listen to the full audio interview here, or click below.

 

3 Apps for Designing Mobile Friendly Email Campaigns

We know that customers are increasingly consuming online content on their mobile devices. Designing mobile friendly websites has become imperative for business. But what many small businesses are failing to realize is that they also need to create mobile friendly email campaigns as well, or their information will simply be passed by.

In a recent post we reviewed applications for mobile friendly websites. The good news is that designing mobile friendly email campaigns also just got a lot easier. You no longer have to design two emails, one for desktops and other for mobiles. Email service providers now provide responsive email design templates that are compatible across viewing platforms.

GetResponse, the global email marketing company, has recently upgraded its email design application to what it calls the first ever ‘truly responsive email design' tool. All newsletters and e-mailers designed with GetResponse's  Email Creator application will by default be adjusted for mobile viewing so that the reader gets the best possible experience in terms of email navigation and readability. The responsive feature is automatically activated regardless of whether you design emails from scratch or using the existing design templates.

GetResponse Founder and CEO Simon Grabowski said, “Today's busy consumers are quick to embrace new technologies and quick to develop strong expectations of how they should work. So unlike other providers, we made this feature available as a standard feature rather than a paid add-on”. GetResponse email design pricing starts at $15 a month for 1000 subscribers.

As part of our research we also contacted the two other major players offering email marketing services.

MailChimp in fact reverted stating that they launched mobile friendly email templates in November 2012 and their fully responsive application was launched in June of this year. The upgraded application has drag and drop features and editable content blocks for easy email design. You can also preview the mobile friendly email in real-time as you make the changes in content and design. They have also recently made updates to their iPhone and Android mobile apps and even more recently introduced an editor app for the iPad. MailChimp services are free of cost for up to 12000 emails and 2000 subscribers a month.

Constant Contact currently offers seven mobile friendly email templates at no additional cost. These templates can easily be customized to match your brand. Joel Hughes, Constant Contact's Senior Vice President, Strategy and Emerging Businesses says, “Our top priority with mobile email marketing is making sure our customers' emails look great regardless of what device they are being viewed on. Along with our Quickview mobile app, which allows customers to create and edit mobile-friendly emails on the go, we continue to focus on super easy ways for our customers to mobilize their email marketing.” Constant Contact pricing is based on the number of contacts stored in the account, with the number of emails you can send being unlimited. Pricing plan starts at $15/month for between 0-500 contacts.

A 2012 survey by Litmus concluded that 48% of all emails are read on mobile devices. A 2011 study by Google called the Mobile Movement (covering more than 5000 on online US adults) revealed that 89% of users access their smartphones throughout the day, with 82% using their smartphones to check and send emails. Email marketing is known to be the most effective online marketing technique and mobile friendly emails will only enhance its potency as a business promotion tool.  

Thanks to these mobile friendly email apps growing businesses can maximize benefits from their email campaigns at no additional cost.

 

Understanding the Virtual Receptionist: Interview with Jill Nelson, CEO and Founder of Ruby Receptionist

In the ever changing world of small business and the conventional workplace, new services are constantly rising to fulfill the new needs that companies may have. One such service is the virtual receptionist.

I recently sat with Jill Nelson, CEO and Founder of Ruby Receptionist to talk about what a virtual receptionist is and how they work with businesses. She explained how companies are using their service and the pain points that they eliminate, particularly in small businesses and for solopreneurs. Compared to pure technology solutions, they offer a ‘human' aspect to business, which helps to nurture a company's culture and provide a sense of ‘realism', that automated solutions don't offer.

You can view the entire video interview below, or click here.

 

 

A Comprehensive Guide to Small Business Inventory Management Systems

It's a success story many small business owners dream of having. Farm Fresh Clothing Co., an online retailer of clothing made from organic cotton, quickly grew to $3 million in sales after signing on with Stitch Labs, a Cloud-based inventory management system. Managing your business inventory is essential for success. After all, if you don't have the items in stock, you run a high risk of losing the sale to your closest competitor.

Migration to the Cloud has given small businesses like Farm Fresh Clothing Co. the ability to compete with much larger retailers. Using Stitch Labs' Cloud-based system, this e-tailer receives real-time information on inventory status when an order is placed, including how many shirts are in stock, how many are being shipped, to let them know at first glance if enough items are in stock to fulfill the order. These solutions can be accessed using mobile devices, whether a business owner is on the showroom floor or at his vacation home on the beach. But for most small businesses, the process of finding and implementing a Cloud-based inventory systems can seem daunting at first. For that reason, we've compiled a comprehensive how-to guide for small businesses interested in adding an inventory management system to their current suite of Cloud-based solutions. Hopefully through this guide, businesses will understand why they need inventory management and how it can impact their business's bottom line.

What Does Inventory Management Provide?

Unless your business only sells one item at a time, chances are you're keeping track of your inventory. You may be doing this through chicken scratches on scraps of paper or by using an Excel spreadsheet, but either way, you're likely constantly aware of how many items you have in stock at any given time.

As your business grows, these manual methods of keeping track of your inventory will likely become cumbersome and error-prone. It's easy to forget to write an item down when things get busy and assume you have more items in stock than you currently  have. Too many mistakes and you'll begin seeing negative online reviews for your businessâ€"reviews that will linger out there for many years to come. Over time, you may find these errors put you out of business completely.

An inventory management system reduces risk of errors by automating the process. When an item is purchased on your site, that item is automatically removed from your inventory, updating your site so that when an item is temporarily out of stock, customers can no longer order that item. Businesses can also receive notifications when inventory is running low on a particular item, prompting them to order more. With inventory tracking, you'll also be able to conduct regular inventory tracking to spot any inventory losses early on.

Cloud Solutions Save Money

Many businesses today are opting for Cloud-based solutions, rather than purchasing and installing software on each device. This helps them save money, while removing the headache of troubleshooting problems and ensuring data remains secure. For an affordable monthly fee, small businesses can set up a Cloud-based inventory system that is fully managed by a highly-skilled team employed by the software firm.

Because a Cloud-based inventory system is accessible from anywhere, business owners are always aware of their own inventory levels. Staff are no longer required to spend hours logging information about products and business owners will have inventory level information at their fingertips, saving time that can be put toward bringing in more business.

What is the Best Solution?

Each business will have its own specific needs when it comes to inventory solutions. It's important to choose an inventory system that addresses your own specific business needs, as well as one that integrates well with your existing environment. If you already have accounting software in place, the inventory system you choose should specifically mention integration with that system in order to further improve your business's efficiency.

Here are a few options for businesses of varying needs:

• StitchLabs features integration with accounting systems, payment systems, and e-Commerce platforms, including PayPal, Amazon, Shopify, QuickBooks, and more. This integration provides a seamless experience for many small businesses, providing an all-in-one solution that saves time and makes things easier for workers. For businesses just starting out, the app features a starter edition for only $25 per month, which includes three user accounts and integration with one sales channel. More robust plans start at $45 per month.
• Intuit's SOS Inventory is a great solution for those using QuickBooks Online for their accounting functions. The tight integration with the Cloud-based version of QuickBooks means items entered in the inventory system will automatically be updated in QuickBooks to avoid the need to double-enter information. The app comes with a 30-day free trial, with plans starting at $29.95 per month.
• For businesses that prefer to run on iPads, Inventory Tracker is a highly-rated app that runs directly on a business's iPad. Because it's an app, it lacks many of the integration features that a full Cloud solution has, but at only $4.99, it might be a great solution for start-ups.

Because many of these software options provide free trial editions, you can try out each inventory management system to see which works best for your needs. For many small businesses, though, failure to implement an inventory management system can slow processes down and introduce the possibility of errors, which can cost businesses far more in the long run than any inventory management solution will.

What\'s Good Business Debt? What\'s Bad Business Debt?: Interview with Sean Rolland of Kabbage, Inc.

Many small businesses struggle with the financial side of their business and how to know what is good business debt and what is bad business debt. I recently had the chance to speak to Sean Rolland of Kabbage, Inc. at the ICE Retail Conference in Atlanta, GA, to discuss this exact topic.

Kabbage, Inc. provides small business owners a quick, simple and flexible way to get money to grow their business. They are an alternative  financing company geared towards companies looking for smaller amounts of funds to cover what a traditional loan or credit card loans would not be suited for. During the interview Sean explains exactly what is good debt and what is bad debt and offers some tips for small businesses to follow.

You can listen to the full interview below, or click here.

How To Sell Better Online: Interview with Rich Matsuura of Ebay

Rich Matsuura, Director of Seller Protection at ebay, gave me a few minutes of his time at the ICE Retailer Conference in Atlanta, GA to discuss how to sell better on ebay and online, in general. The seller protection division of ebay is charged with delivering great buyers to their customers and policing the buyer community . They create policies that set the right expectations to buyers and policies for sellers, to create a better marketplace for both sectors.

In this interview, Rich recaps the evolution of ebay and also shares with us two tips to how you can sell better online, regardless of the platform you are selling on, including creating a great description and offering amazing customer service.

You can listen to the full interview below or click here.

How Health Care Reform Changes Impact the Small Business Owner

As an employer, you may find yourself thinking that you have yet to address health care reform requirements for your business. Some of you may be asking:

Why should I rush to meet guidelines and deadlines that seem to be constantly changing and being pushed back?

Well I have an answer â€" you should take action for your employees.

According to the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report, which sheds light on the attitudes, fears and expectations of workers when it comes to health care reform, employees have concerns about their benefit options and how health care reform may affect those benefits.

If you can quell their fears by establishing their benefits options sooner rather than later, you will find your workforce far more at ease about upcoming changes.

Common Employee Health Care Reform Concerns

Concern #1: It’s Too Complicated to Understand

According to the Aflac study, three-quarters of workers (75 percent) believe health care reform is too complicated to understand. In addition, 72 percent believe their personal health insurance situation will become more complicated once reform takes place.

Concern #2: How Will I Be Affected?

About half (58 percent) of workers think the quality of their health care will improve. Many indicate they believe the new law will affect the scope and cost of their health care coverage, with the majority (83 percent) believing the medical costs they are responsible for will increase.

Concern #3: I’m Not Prepared Financially for the Changes

The reality is that many companies already shift a significant share of health care premiums to their workers, and many employers offer health insurance plans with significant deductibles.

Yet, only 23 percent of workers are saving money for potential increases in medical expenses and more than half of workers (55 percent) say they are doing nothing to prepare for changes to the health care system.

Concern #4: I Don’t Know Enough to Effectively Manage My Health Care Options

The Aflac study found that more than half of workers (53 percent) think they may not adequately manage their health insurance coverage, leaving their family less protected than they are currently. A similar number (54 percent) would prefer not to have more control over health insurance expenses and options because they will not have the time or knowledge to manage it effectively.

High-level Recap of HCR Provisions for Small Businesses

These concerns are valid, but as a small business owner, you cannot address them until you make sure that you are well-versed in health care reform. Talk to your broker or agent to get all of the details, but use these provisions (if you own a business with fewer than 50 employees) as a starting point.

Small Business Health Option Program (SHOP) Marketplace

Small business employers are eligible to participate in the SHOP Marketplace in 2014. In the case of plan years beginning before Jan. 1, 2016, a state may elect to define small employer by substituting “50 employees” for “100 employees.”

New Summary of Benefits

As of Sept. 23, 2012, group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage have been required (PDF) to provide a summary of benefits and coverage under the applicable plan or coverage for annual enrollment periods.

Medical Loss Ratio Rebate Distribution

Major medical insurers that do not meet new medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements are required to issue rebates to policyholders no later than Aug. 1 following the end of the MLR reporting year (began in 2012).

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Limits

As of Jan. 1, 2013, employer-sponsored cafeteria plans have had to limit (PDF) employee annual salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending arrangements to $2,500.

Additional Medicare Withholding on Wages

A 0.9 percent additional Medicare tax went into effect in 2013, raising the Medicare tax rate for certain earners from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent.

New Medicare Assessment on Net Investment Income

As of 2013, a new 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax was applied to individuals, estates and trusts with net investment income and modified adjusted gross income above certain thresholds.

Waiting Period Limits

Beginning January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) restricts waiting periods to a maximum of 90 days.

Required Contribution to the Temporary Reinsurance Program

From January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016, a temporary reinsurance program for the individual insurance market will be funded by a required contribution from all health insurers and group health plans.

Employer Wellness Incentives

Health care reform increases the maximum permissible reward under a health-contingent wellness program, meaning individuals who participate in their company wellness programs and meet a specific health standard can gain larger rewards.

Health Insurance Coverage Reporting

Insurers, self-insured employers and other entities that provide “minimum essential coverage” to an individual during a calendar year must report certain health insurance coverage information to the IRS. Certain employers are also required to report information regarding the health coverage offered to their full-time employees.

Small Business Tax Credits

If your business employs 25 or fewer full-time equivalent workers with average wages of less than $50,000, your business may be eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

The material above is intended to provide general information about an evolving topic and does not constitute legal, tax or accounting advice regarding any specific situation. Aflac cannot anticipate all the facts that a particular employer or individual will have to consider in their benefits decision-making process.

I strongly encourage readers to discuss their HCR situations with their advisors to determine the actions they need to take or to visit HealthCare.gov (which may also be contacted at 1-800-318-2596) for additional information.

Health Care Photo via Shutterstock

5 Ways Belly-to-Belly Meetings Are Better for Business

Social media and other types of online networking have revolutionized business. You can connect with customers, clients and partners half way around the world.

But are there times when face to face, or as they are sometimes called, belly to belly meetings are still beneficial?

You bet, say members of the small business community.

Face to Face Meetings Accelerate Networking

First, career transition consultant and brand strategist Deborah Shane insists meeting people face to face accelerates the networking process.

She explains:

In 10 minutes I can learn more about someone, and they about me, in person than in six months online!

Plus Shane insists face to face meetings and online networking can work together. Each can drive the other strengthening the connection with someone you may have only known superficially.

If I meet you online and strike up an online relationship that has value and interest to me, then taking it offline is going to enhance that relationship and help it progress. If we meet in person, then staying connected online is going to enhance our relationship and help it progress until we meet in person again.

Meeting in Person Gives You a Broader Perspective

In addition, Shane says she can gain a broader perspective of a person when meeting face to face.

For example, a face to face conversation might more quickly help you and a person you are networking with find common ground as opposed to, say, liking their Facebook page.

Do you have common interests, hobbies, favorite books, shared peers, or even common life experiences? You could eventually find this out from having a look at favorite sites, shared connections or even a book review or personal anecdote posted on a blog.

But none of this is likely to happen as quickly as it will if you spend time just talking over lunch.

You can also put a plan in place to work together, finalize a course of action or decide on the next step in your business in only minutes in a face to face meeting, Shane said.

Face to Face Meetings Command our Full Attention

In the age of multitasking, social communication and even important business email is likely to be happening at the same time we’re proofreading the latest blog post, listening to a podcast, watching part of a video, etc.

This is another reason face to face meetings are still important, writes Rieva Lesonsky, quoting from research on the subject.

Multitasking makes it unlikely we will have long term memory of the things we see and hear. Face to face events on the other hand stimulate our cognitive functions resulting in greater open mindedness and creativity, Lesonsky writes.

Meeting in Person Engages the Emotions

Apparently, the most important thing brands want from social engagement â€" a “positive emotional experience” â€" can only be achieved face to face. Lesonky explains:

An event that involves interacting with other people in the flesh creates a positive emotional experience. Those positive emotions become attached to the companies involved in the event, as well as contributing to make attendees more open to new experiences.

If this is the reaction you want from those with whom you network, a “like” on Facebook may not be enough.

Face to Face Meeting Build Trust

But ultimately, the most important reason face to face meetings remain important is the trust factor.

According to the data, you can share information virtually, Lesonky explains. But building relationships requires closer interaction. Research shows relationships built face to face are stronger, Lesonky reports.

If this is the goal of your networking activities â€" and it certainly should be â€" then face to face meetings become even more important.

Face to Face Photo via Shutterstock

How To Sell Better Online: Interview with Rich Matsuura of Ebay

Rich Matsuura, Director of Seller Protection at ebay, gave me a few minutes of his time at the ICE Retailer Conference in Atlanta, GA to discuss how to sell better on ebay and online, in general. The seller protection division of ebay is charged with delivering great buyers to their customers and policing the buyer community . They create policies that set the right expectations to buyers and policies for sellers, to create a better marketplace for both sectors.

In this interview, Rich recaps the evolution of ebay and also shares with us two tips to how you can sell better online, regardless of the platform you are selling on, including creating a great description and offering amazing customer service.

You can listen to the full interview below or click here.

How To Sell Better Online: Interview with Rich Matsuura of Ebay

Rich Matsuura, Director of Seller Protection at ebay, gave me a few minutes of his time at the ICE Retailer Conference in Atlanta, GA to discuss how to sell better on ebay and online, in general. The seller protection division of ebay is charged with delivering great buyers to their customers and policing the buyer community . They create policies that set the right expectations to buyers and policies for sellers, to create a better marketplace for both sectors.

In this interview, Rich recaps the evolution of ebay and also shares with us two tips to how you can sell better online, regardless of the platform you are selling on, including creating a great description and offering amazing customer service.

You can listen to the full interview below or click here.

Seven of the Best Small Business Viral Marketing Campaigns

Many small businesses who have enjoyed the excitement of a viral marketing campaign will actually tell you that, although they wish they had been clever enough to plan it, it was an accident. There are certainly things you can do to try and create viral marketing campaigns, but these methods never offer any guarantees.

As a small business owner trying to create the next big thing, it’s important to look at examples of successful viral marketing campaigns to see what you can learn.  Then give it a try yourself, see what happens - and then try, try again if necessary.

Viral Marketing Campaigns: What You Can Learn

For those who are unfamiliar, a viral campaign essentially means the spread of something (an idea, a particular ad, a song, etc.) organically, often by word of mouth. If you have created engaging content that gives readers a reason to share, that content or message has the potential to become viral. Therefore being seen by a lot more eyes than your typical campaigns. It can help you spread awareness of your message as well as increase leads and/or sales.

There are have been lots of successful viral marketing campaigns in the past in every industry, some of the most popular being the Old Spice commercials, the Gangnam style dance and The Blair Witch Project. Below lists 7 of the top viral marketing campaigns by small businesses:

Video Campaigns

1. Blendtec’s Will It Blend Campaign

This marketing campaign is centered around a food blender. The campaign created a video that shows that the blender blends everything. Some of their most popular videos show blending expensive electronics like an iPhone.

Why it went viral: It capitalized on user’s interest to watch quick and funny things on YouTube. It was shocking in 2006 and it still is today. It attracted 160 million views back when the campaign was first launched.

2. The Best Job Ever

This viral campaign is cool because it isn’t funny or clever, just gives viewers what they want to see. Tourism Queensland launched the campaign in 2009. They hosted a contest where the winner would be paid $150,000 to tour the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Why it went viral: The ad went through YouTube so it was easy for people to hear about it while sitting in their cubicles. The offer was unique and the video made it seem so amazing that people were bound to apply, which then created a domino effect of success.

3. Burger King’s Subservient Chicken Promotion

This campaign dates back to 2004, but many of the tactics the campaign used still apply today. The campaign started on TV and then moved to the Internet where people could request the chicken to do something and it would have to oblige. The idea here is “chicken the way you want it.”

Why it went viral: It was funny, unique, interactive - and the first of it’s kind.

4. Golden Grahms Gold Grant

This campaign targeted college students and therefore used social media to fuel the fire. The company posted a series of animated videos that discussed things like job interviews that went wrong (but hilarious). It started with Twitter and then moved to YouTube gaining more than 2.5 million views.

Why it went viral: It was funny and the company knew exactly who the audience was and how to connect with that audience.

Traditional Ad Campaigns

5. Virgin Blue Tweets

The airline Virgin Blue decided to create an ad campaign on Twitter for their Virgin Australia branch. The deal was that because it was their 9th anniversary, they were going to give plane tickets away for $9 each through Twitter. They gave away 1,000 tickets but earned nearly 33,000 Twitter followers.

Why it went viral: This giveaway in 2009 was successful because it offered $9 tickets through a social media outlet. Not only was it enticing, it was also easier to get involved and easier for people to spread the word.

6. Threshers Viral Email

This campaign went viral in 2006 after the U.K. based liquor store sent an email marketing campaign intended only for suppliers that offered a 40 percent discount. The suppliers leaked the coupon and the store’s website crashed.

Why it went viral: There is no denying this was a complete mistake. But it likely went viral because such a good deal was coming from suppliers who don’t typically offer such a deal. While this isn’t a classic example of something going viral, remember that it is possible.

7. Sporting Portugal

The soccer team wanted to boost ticket sales so they decided to setup a microsite where people could purchase tickets. You entered your name and phone number and then a video of the players during a pep talk would show up. The video would then stop and the coach would call you saying they needed you to come to the game. The site received 200,000 page views in just one day.

Why it went viral: This was all about interaction. It capitalized on the fact that fans love to see, and be a part of, anything behind the scenes of sporting events.

As a side note, the vast majority of successful viral marketing campaigns over the last decade were video advertisements. It was more of a struggle to find campaigns that didn’t involve video when researching any new viral gems that I may have missed. Keep this in mind if you’re setting out to specifically create something viral.

Also keep in mind the tactic of re-packaging quotes into viral content and capitalizing on viral infographics as well.

Do you know of any great viral marketing campaigns I may have missed?