New arrivalYou can now listen to Fox News articles.
Host a national call-in radio show to hear from all types of people.
There was a famous photographer who asked me how to keep my wife’s racy photos safe and private. Spoilers: Don’t just upload to iCloud or Google Photos. Tap or click here to find out how to safely save your private photos.
My daughter talked to a stalker and a harassed woman. I tied her up with her right help and I’m proud that her manager was brought to justice. Tap or click on the scary details. This nightmare can happen to anyone.
I’m proud to have set up my own multi-million dollar company with no debt or investors. It’s rewarding for me to help the owners of many small businesses who need help by calling to set up a company or overcome big hurdles. I have been there myself.
Here is my advice from the trench.
Privacy Tip: 5 Ways Tracked You Should Stop Now
1. Know your competition
Customers already exist and are spending money elsewhere, unless they are truly villains with brand new products and services. Competitor research is one of the best ways to figure out what works and what doesn’t in the industry.
It’s also a smart way to contact your customers’ needs, such as what they expect to pay and how much you can expect to earn.
Find a handful of companies doing what you want to do and become a student. “How much can you learn here?”
Study their website. What stands out and what isn’t that great? You can use Visualping to monitor your website over time. With this free tool, you can access the websites you track and receive email alerts whenever your site changes. You can see if your competitors have made a great copy of your new landing page or exchanged photos. Try the direct link by tapping or clicking.
Follow your competitors on social media and subscribe to our newsletter. Beware of posts that generate numerous comments and shares.
Sign up for Google Alerts for your trade name, competitors, and meaningful industry jargon. Tap or click here for instructions on setting up Google Alerts. We encourage you to send weekly alerts. Daily alerts can be overwhelming.
Deliver my trusted small business advice directly to your inbox. It’s completely free. Try it here.
2. Brand yourself with a memorable domain
A strong web presence is essential. The first step is to protect good domain names. You need something that is easy to remember, clear, and concise. No one remembers a 6-word long URL.
There are benefits to doctors, lawyers, or other professionals who use their name for business.Hey, my website is Komando.com..
How much does a domain cost? Let’s use GoDaddy as an example. For .com addresses, you spend about $ 19.99 a year and pay only a penny for the first year. .me email addresses are available for $ 6.99 a year for the first year and $ 21.99 a year thereafter. The .biz URL costs a total of about $ 37 and requires a two-year purchase.
Of course, the idea of the best domain doesn’t mean anything if it’s adopted. Namech_k shortens the process. Put your idea in and see if it’s registered or open. We’re not just talking about .com and .net. Check .us, .info, .biz, etc.
Also, scrutinize social media sites to see if your favorite name is there. Consistency is important because it helps people find you much faster. That’s why I’m @kimkomando on all social media platforms. Please follow me. For professional tips on using Namech_k, tap or click here.
3. Speaking of websites, make your website smarter
SEO is more than just a keyword that leads you to the top of Google’s search results. Optimized site Lightweight, fast to load, and tight enough to prevent visitors from getting stuck in a glitchy dropdown menu.
If in doubt, you can hire a professional developer to audit your site. This can reveal frustrating flaws that turn off customers. You can also run these free online tests to see the most important issues on your site.
A common problem is website design. Keep in mind that mobile performance is just as important as the appearance of your site on your desktop monitor. Today’s website building tools make it easy to create great-looking, high-performance sites on all your devices.
Weebly’s plan From $ 12 per month. Wix $ 22 / month, $ 27 to accept online payments. Squarespace From $ 23 per month, or $ 27 if you pay.
It’s worth browsing what those monthly charges bring to you. For example, Squarespace’s business plan includes advanced site analytics and a year of professional email via Google. Wix gives you access to direct inventory and 100GB of storage space.
4. Don’t forget email marketing
I have been participating in email marketing games since 1995. At that time, I was sending one email a week. Recently, my team has created 12 different emails, including millions of monthly emails, with an average open rate of over 50%. Tap or click here to try our free technology and digital life newsletter.
I had to invent a way to make it work that day. Today, there are tools that make it easy to compose and send beautiful and engaging emails. There are a few things to consider.
Mailchimp: Send up to 10,000 emails (2,000 emails a day) every month for free. Paid plans start at $ 11 per month and include email templates and custom branding.
Constant contact: You will be charged according to the number of imported email addresses. From $ 9.99 per month up to 500. Up to 2,500 email addresses will run $ 35 per month.
Emma: From $ 99 per month for up to 10,000 contacts. You can add up to 5 users and set up email automation campaigns to attract new customers.
HubSpot: Great if you need a strong marketing and contact hub. The free plan is robust and can add up to 1 million contacts. Paid plans with support, automation, and custom branding start at $ 45 per month for up to 1,000 contacts.
5. Easy to receive payment
Traffic is increasing, but you aren’t making more money. Your customer may be hitting a wall.
Are they dissatisfied with the inconvenient payment method? Are there any technical bugs that prevent them from completing the sale? Use a VPN or Incognito window to run the entire checkout process yourself and see your site as if you were a visitor. Be careful of things that do not go smoothly.
If your payment processing options are not appropriate, consider the following:
square: Pay a flat rate and a percentage of the sale. The cost depends on the type of transaction. For example, a customer who enters a card number online costs 3.5% of sales plus 15 cents.
PayPal: PayPal checkout works as well. Standard credit card payments are 2.99% plus a fee of 49 cents.
Stripes: For card fees, please pay a fee of 2.9% and 30 cents.
6. Pay only what you need
There is no way around some costs, but I think you can save a little money with this gem. The free version of the most popular paid software is just as good.
Instead of Microsoft Office Check out LibreOffice Or Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
I like GIMP, Pixlr X and Canva for photo editing. Tap or click here to see the strengths and weaknesses of each option.
DaVinci Resolve Great free video editing software.
Boldness A free audio editing program used by professionals.
That’s not all. Here are nine free software copycats that work better than real expensive programs.
List: 10 TECH COMPANY Customer Service Phone Numbers, plus Secret Ways to Know Waiting Times
7. Get advice from other professionals
The Federal Small and Medium Business Administration has more resources than you might think. Use this link to find free or low cost training and business advice in your area. If you’re just getting started, there’s also a guide to creating a business plan, registering your company, and handling your day-to-day operations.
SCORE can also connect you with a business mentor who can help you start and grow your company — and it’s free. The non-profit organization operates the largest network of volunteer business professionals in the country. If you don’t have a branch in your area, you can get support by email, phone, or video.
I want to help you
You can also contact me. I receive emails and phone calls from small business owners every day and love to help. Please email me here. I read them all myself.
If you want to know more about my business and life, listen to the podcast below. I was interviewed about the ups and downs of success and had a lot of difficult questions.
Podcast Pick: Intimate conversation with Kim Commando about business, life, and loss
I started my business over 20 years ago. I didn’t have an investor and I didn’t borrow. To be honest, I had a hard time in the first few years. But I embraced the struggle and overcame the most difficult times of my life to find peace. In this podcast, I’ll talk and talk about the time of my life that I don’t share much.
Find my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Search for my name “Komando”.
Do you have any questions about your digital lifestyle?Call Kim’s national radio show Tap or click here to find it at your local wireless station..You can hear or see Kim Command Show On your phone, tablet, TV or computer. Alternatively, tap Kim’s free podcast or click here.
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Learn about all the latest technologies above Kim Command Show, The largest weekend radio talk show in the country. From smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking, Kim answers the phone and gives advice on today’s digital lifestyle. Visit her website for her daily tips, free newsletters and more. Komando.com..