The trick is in knowing when they’re happy and when they’re not. I know what you’re thinking. Of course you know when your customer isn’t happy – he/she tells you, right? And if they aren’t telling you something, they must be happy.

We recently spoke to a group of business owners about online marketing. One of the themes of the session was “listen to what your customer is telling you”. For small and mid-sized businesses, this may be even more critical than it is for the “big guys”. It’s a competitive business environment and we all have to work harder to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers in order to keep them happy (and have them continue to do business with us).

Unless you’ve had a conversation with your customers lately, you may not be 100% sure about how they perceive your products or services. Or are you? You can absolutely learn what they are NOT telling you from their online behavior on your business website. If you have a website for your business, you should (and if you don’t, please do yourself a favor and do it ASAP!) have some form of analytics software in place to track your visitors. These tools can tell you much more than how many people come to your site on any given day, week, month, etc. They are also telling you a lot about what they like and dislike, for instance:

• Which pages are most frequently viewed
• Which pages visitors most often exit your website from
• Where your visitors are coming from, i.e. search engines, social media sites, other 3rd party directories, etc.
• How they are finding you in search engines by the keywords they are using
• And much, much more

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power of analytics. By understanding the patterns, behaviors and trends, you can create clear messaging that will engage your customers and make their online experience a positive one. Make sure that you are “listening” online, paying attention, and most of all responding.

• Importance of having an effective website
• Implementing, customizing and monitoring analytics
• Essentials of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Understanding your customer’s online behavior
• Top 10 dos and don’ts

Through an interactive format, Ms. Virgulak and Ms. Jablonski demonstrated, to those in attendance, the benefits of leveraging the latest technologies to effectively grow their business, spotlighting a ‘real-life’ case study on the effectiveness of a well executed online marketing strategy.

“As a business owner, I understand that managing one’s own company is demanding, and it can be difficult to find time to step away from everyday tasks to examine it from a strategic point of view,” stated Virgulak. “Ultimately, our goal in sharing our knowledge and expertise through these sessions is to ensure that the attendees find value and walk away with very clear and targeted ideas on how to take their online marketing to the next level.”

Summer Street Advisors, LLC (SSA) is a commercial real estate advisory services firm founded by Risk Management alumni of GE Capital Real Estate. SSA offers a rigorous Risk Management philosophy and approach in providing strategic advisory services to loan sellers, B piece buyers, distressed mortgage investors, servicers and banks across all commercial real estate assets. The SSA team has over 100 years combined CRE experience and possesses diverse institutional and entrepreneurial backgrounds, including valuation, underwriting and credit analysis, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, distressed debt advisory due diligence and management consulting. More information about the company can be found at summerstreetRE.com, or by contacting Jack Mullen at 203-293-4844.

With the tens of thousands of videos uploaded per day, many have experienced overwhelming success gaining MILLIONS of views through the process of Internet sharing.  Businesses can benefit from “viral” videos in many ways including gaining exposure to their products while driving traffic to their website.   Take Justin Bieber for example.  The young superstar was first discovered by uploading videos of himself singing at home, which gained immediate exposure and ultimately led to his international success.  These days, someone can become nationally recognized overnight; apply this to your business and the possibilities are endless. Here’s a list of just a few of the best viral video success stories of 2011!

The Force-Volkswagen Commercial

This clever commercial was intended to run in the 2011 Superbowl, but was released early.  The ad went viral on YouTube gaining over 12 million views before it even aired on television!  Currently the commercial has contributed to a boost in sales and has over 45 million hits on YouTube leaving Volkswagen among the most anticipated commercials of the 2012 Superbowl.

Rebecca Black-Friday

One word can best describe Rebecca Black’s music video “Friday”…. awful.  In fact, it was so awful that it gained popularity among Internet users and became YouTube’s most watched video of 2011.  With simplistic lyrics like “Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday, today it is Friday, Friday” Rebecca Black became an internet celebrity overnight and landed herself an interview on Good Morning America, and a cameo spot in Grammy nominated artist, Katy Perry’s music video.

Jorge & Alexa Narvaez Sing “Home”

Jorge Narvaez posted a home video of himself, and his six year old daughter playing an acoustic cover of rock bands, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s “home.”  Little did he know that this video would lead to internet stardom for both him and his daughter.  The post went viral and gained millions of hits which lead the duet to a performance on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and a commercial with Hyundai.

However, what makes social media great is the various ways that you can use it, including showing appreciation to the people who support your business. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow a business to have direct communication with their customers. This direct connection can be valuable for everything from customer service, to tailoring a message to a specific customer to show that each and every individual client has your attention.

It is clear that your clients are a significant piece to your business, so it is essential to make them feel important. It is this very reason why so many businesses have leveraged their social media campaigns to strengthen client relationship management. So how does it work?

By sending messages to your network of existing and prospective customers, you convey a personal approach, leaving the consumer with a sense of value. The beauty of this is it can also work both ways! Business owners can directly respond to customer inquiries, questions and/or concerns and address them head-on. Whether it be reputation management or saying “Thank You” when a customer gives positive feedback, it is essential that you connect and be consistent.

JumarMarketing, LLC is a full-service marketing company specializing in marketing strategies, brand awareness, web design, web development, social media and search engine marketing, and public relations. The company provides strategic and technical solutions to build, market and grow clients’ businesses. For more information, call 203.857.4700.

Summer Street Advisors, LLC (SSA) is a commercial real estate advisory services firm founded by Risk Management alumni of GE Capital Real Estate. SSA offers a rigorous Risk Management philosophy and approach in providing strategic advisory services to loan sellers, B piece buyers, distressed mortgage investors, servicers and banks across all commercial real estate assets. The SSA team has over 100 years combined CRE experience and possesses diverse institutional and entrepreneurial backgrounds, including valuation, underwriting and credit analysis, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, distressed debt advisory due diligence and management consulting. More information about the company can be found at summerstreetRE.com, or by contacting Jack Mullen at 203-293-4844.

Summer Street Advisors, LLC (SSA) is a commercial real estate advisory services firm founded by Risk Management alumni of GE Capital Real Estate. SSA offers a rigorous Risk Management philosophy and approach in providing strategic advisory services to loan sellers, B piece buyers, distressed mortgage investors, servicers and banks across all commercial real estate assets. The SSA team has over 100 years combined CRE experience and possesses diverse institutional and entrepreneurial backgrounds, including valuation, underwriting and credit analysis, mergers and acquisitions, risk management, distressed debt advisory due diligence and management consulting. More information about the company can be found at summerstreetRE.com, or by contacting Jack Mullen at 203-293-4844.

Ranieri Real Estate Partners LP (RREP), founded in 2010, is part of Ranieri Partners, an investment management company focused on financial services opportunities. RREP provides global advisory, investment management and capital market solutions to participants throughout the commercial real estate spectrum. The Firm is dedicated to serving as a valuable partner in all phases of commercial real estate ownership. The Firm works with entities including owner/operators, financial institutions, and Government Sponsored Enterprises. The RREP team brings deep real estate industry expertise and leverages the intellectual capital of the broader Ranieri platform. More information about the company can be found at ranieripartners.com.

WL Ross & Co. LLC, founded by Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. and based on New York City, has sponsored and managed more than $10 billion of private equity investments since its inception in 2000. Many of these investments have been in the financial sector, such as banking, loan servicing and insurance and the industrial sector, such as the steel, automotive, coal and rail space.

Norwalk, CT (October 17, 2011) – JumarMarketing, LLC, a full-service marketing agency specializing in marketing strategies, web design and development, and social media and search engine marketing, has been appointed by Dab Design, Inc., the owners of Deco Wrap®, to handle all Search Engine Optimization programs for the company’s line of Do-It-Yourself window treatments (www.mydecoWrap.com).

Over 1.5million Deco Wrap no-sew cornice kits have been sold to date, and the product has been available on QVC and in retailers nationwide. The window treatments are also available for purchase online, and JumarMarketing will lead efforts to expand online awareness, which represents Deco Wrap’s first web-focused endeavor.

“Deco Wrap has had great success with QVC, national retail chains, and As Seen On TV audiences, and we are confident that JumarMarketing has the strategic experience to help us reach our online customer target,” said Neil Barone, owner of Deco Wrap. “They understand our business, and share our vision for this product and our company.”

“We recognize the immense opportunity for Deco Wrap in the online space,” added Judi Virgulak, President of JumarMarketing. “Today’s online customer is increasingly savvy, and Deco Wrap’s commitment to the quality of their product is immediately recognizable on their site. Our goal is to direct customers to an amazing product that can sell itself.”

JumarMarketing, LLC is a full-service marketing company specializing in marketing strategies, brand awareness, web design, web development, social media and search engine marketing, and public relations. The company provides strategic and technical solutions to build, market and grow clients’ businesses. For more information, call 203-857-4700 or visit www.jumarmarketing.com.

Deco Wrap® is the original patented no-sew cornice and was the first window treatment of its kind. To this day, it remains the number one seller in its category. Since 1995, Dab Design, Inc. has been completely committed to providing valued customers with high quality, affordable and easy-to-use home decorating products. For more information, call 732-224-8686 or visit www.mydecowrap.com.

So what makes Google V5 different from other versions? There are many new additions to this version of Google Analytics which make it a more powerful tool than ever before. Here are a few examples of the innovative changes:

• Dashboards - A dashboard is a user interface where information is organized and can be viewed easily. Google V5 has made the experience much more useful for your particular needs by allowing you to customize it through the use of widgets. This feature also lets you customize and utilize multiple dashboards.
• Site Speed - V5 has introduced the capability to track how fast your site is loading. This is particularly helpful because it may be a factor influencing usability and customer retention on your site.
• Mobile Reporting - Cell phones are being used more and more to access the web. Google has updated their analytics to capture more information about mobile phones which are reaching your site.
• Funnels - Multi-channel funnels have made Google analytics smarter. Now you can easily see more information about how a customer was referred to your site through many different mediums.

These examples are just a few of many additions to Google Analytics which will enhance your experience, but don’t forget that proper management of your website’s analytics is crucial to your success. Embrace technology and remain competitive.

Many companies are placing them on advertisements, such as an ad in a magazine, and when you scan it you are brought to their website, allowing you to access more information about the company or its products. Nowadays, savvy consumers don’t buy a product without researching and/or comparing it with other similar products. QR Codes help consumers accomplish this instantaneously – without any time passing by from when they viewed the ad, to when they were able to get more information.

People like instant gratification and that's what you get when you scan a QR code. They are easy to use and allow consumers to obtain information fast. There are countless applications for them, ranging from bringing you to a webpage and providing you with a coupon to making an appointment or scanning someone's contact information into your contact list. There is potential for QR Codes to provide great value, but keep in mind they must be used in the correct manner or they are simply novelty.

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