Case Study #1: Online Marketing and Retail Strategy

Presenting Issue The client presented with low online sales revenues, high fixed costs for web marketing, and complicated, cumbersome web outsourcing arrangements. Because of an unorganized and untargeted web presence, the client could not monetize their online work, control their marketing message or effectively generate sales. Despite an active blogging schedule, designated staff and an expensive website, sales volume remained low and unreliable. The client knew maintaining an online presence was important, but could not reliably connect investment and up-front work with profits. Diagnosis The client had not developed an online sales strategy. The client’s limited website structure could not accommodate the client’s recently expanded product line. Because of access limitations, the client required complicated third-party updates to the site, which often did not load during the client’s test navigation. The product site and shopping site ran on parallel platforms and contained no sales language. It was extremely difficult for a customer to navigate the site to make a purchasing decision. The client’s blog and social networking page did not lead customers to purchase, did not promote customer capture, and offered limited opportunity for community interaction. The client’s online marketing voice lacked content and a clear message and gave no direction to the online conversation about the client and their products. Solution Re-brand as a company, not a single product The limited product capacity of the company’s previous website had damaged the company image, making it appear that they essentially sold one item, rather than a product line. Power of Basics worked with the client to completely redesign the website and relaunched their entire line, featuring each product separately. The new website is organized to allow ample room for future growth. Build an integrated, sales-focused / community-focused website with easy updating capabilities Featuring prominent sales language and detailed product information, the new website anticipates customer questions and leads customers directly to purchasing choices. In addition, the site allows user-friendly online retail sales, and offers easy updating that takes only moments and requires minimal web knowledge for designated staff. The ability to immediately update in-house allows the client to run weekly product marketing campaigns and sales incentives to drive retail sales. Finally, increased internet search optimization for the website directly improves the client’s web presence. Build an interlinked online social networking/marketing system Power of Basics linked several social networking platforms to create sales-oriented channels that automatically distribute marketing material directly to an international audience 24 hours a day/365 days a year. This strategy yields increased opportunities for client capture and community interaction as the client’s marketing materials engage an audience that has directly requested additional information. Design and implement online marketing campaign and sales strategy Power of Basics implemented a tracking system that allows the client’s company managers to directly access the traffic data resulting from their diverse online marketing channels. Using this data, Power of Basics designed a long term marketing plan that focuses the client’s marketing efforts toward the channels that yield the highest response. Conduct company-wide training to ensure appropriate use of social networking systems After building a clear online strategy, Power of Basics conducted training sessions for the client’s designated staff to ensure confident and accurate implementation. By familiarizing the client’s staff with ways to consistently support short-term and long-term marketing goals, Power of Basics enabled the client to achieve success from the ground up. In addition, this training equipped the client to manage their marketing in-house as much as possible, allowing increased marketing flexibility. Client Return on Investment Client’s average monthly sales increased 250% Effective conversion of client from wholesale company to a retail company, with associated higher profit margins Increased purchase response rate to online marketing Increase of internet search optimization yielding a more dominant industry presence online Decreased annual cost for online marketing and implementing sales strategies Increased client control over web presence Increase of online customer capture for future marketing Increased number of online community members and number of member interactions Case Study Review Rebranding the client from a single-product company to an online corporate presence including multiple products immediately diversified revenue streams and opened doors for future growth. In addition, streamlining the customer’s online purchasing experience allowed the company to successful convert from wholesale to retail sales. Also, increased ability for customers to emotionally engage with the company through social networking interaction has improved customer capture and enabled a higher conversion rate from interest to sales. Finally, building a long term marketing strategy and educating company staff on marketing goals allowed the company to lift sales in line with growth goals and to continually move forward with a clear, corporate understanding of how to drive sales and foster company image. The company now maintains a robust online presence that yields robust profits for time and money invested.

Read more Power of Basics client case studies on our website...

An Excellent Client Review

This morning we received the following outstanding review from one of our clients. These are the moments we type, strategize, and Skype for:

"[Power of Basics Consultants] Lanae, Rebeqa, and Kate have literally changed my life. Our business would not be where it is today without their help."

Claire Parkin
Production Manager, GoBoda

Thank You, Claire, for all your hard work. We would never make progress without dedicated clients like you.

Just Hit "Send": Four Steps to Getting Past Perfection

We found this article by Communication Coach, Beth Buelow, on the small business networking site, www.biznik.com. We know how easy it is to become mired in our own perfectionism and we love how Buelow calls us to take deliberate action, rather than waiting around for everything to become "perfect". Here's an excerpt:

"Every once in a while, someone’s Facebook status strikes me as profound. This happened a few weeks ago, when my friend Robin wrote “Just hit ‘send.’” She was writing a paper for her doctoral seminary program, and like me, she has an “A+ student” streak and wanted the paper to be perfect before send-off.

Her short update has become one of my new mantras. In addition to being a great companion to my other mantra, “better done than perfect,” it also reminds me of my Virtuoso Gremlin. Virtuoso is a hold-over from my years of training as a classical musician, when perfection was the only acceptable standard. It tries to tell me that unless something’s perfect, it’s not ready for the public. After all, no one’s going to buy a CD with wrong notes." (read full article)

Lanae Rivers-Woods scheduled to speak at WPPI



In March of 2010, Power of Basics' lead consultant Lanae Rivers-Woods will be taking her expertise on the road to teach professional photographers how to run a sustainable business. Along with Katarina Garner, owner/business manager of J. Garner Photography (and a Power of Basics client), Lanae will be presenting a Master Class at the world-renowned Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) convention in Las Vegas. What an incredible event!



Lanae and Katarina’s presentation, Work vs. Profitability: Stop the Bleeding, will explain how to manage business for tomorrow, not just today. They’ll cover topics like discerning when it’s time to hire versus fire, fostering existing clients, developing a framework for better products, pricing your work for profit, and creating an overall system for better information management.



If you plan to attend WPPI, you should definitely sign up for this insight-filled Master Class.

Happy Clients = Happy Consultants

Just like everyone else in the world, the Power of Basics team has been working double-time the past year keeping ahead of the worldwide economic situation. Burning our candles at both ends, we are spurred on by seeing our clients not only "getting by" but thriving during a time that will likely be recorded in history books.

After keeping our noses to the grindstone for so long, it's endlessly rejuvenating to receive reviews from our clients saying that working with Power of Basics is "the best thing we have done for our business" (Jim Garner, Owner of J. Garner Photography) and referring to us as "the smartest thing I could have done for my career" (Michelle Anderst, Owner of Anderst Art).

Truth is, we find our work to be rewarding, we're just glad someone else enjoys it, too.

Thank you, Kip Beelman, for the great mention!

As you know, Power of Basics Consultant, Lanae Rivers-Woods was featured in GoBODA's June photography workshop in Seattle, WA. Lanae's joint presentation with J. Garner Photography's Katarina Garner made quite a splash with the workshop attendees. One excellent review of the workshop by Photog, Kip Beelman, sums up Lanae's presentation best when he calls it "a business reality check and wake-up call".

Of course, that's not all he has to say: read Kip's full article here.

Thanks to the wonderful GoBODA and J. Garner Photography teams for producing such a practical and educational event. It's just the sort of clear-headed thinking we needed.

Pulling The Trigger On Trauma

From Lanae Rivers-Woods, Consultant:

Over the years, I’ve witnessed many companies and lives destroyed by life’s inevitable traumas and the shock waves that continue through the years. Sole proprietors are especially at risk of “losing it all” from the after effects of extreme stress, however, this doesn’t have to happen.

With a little organization and self-analysis, you can manage your company around these issues in a way that takes care of both you and your clients. You start by addressing the trauma head-on, accepting that it has changed you, addressing how it affects others around you and planning for these issues in the future.

Here is a basic framework for identifying the and working with trauma over time.

Know your trauma anniversaries

• Step 1: Create a list significant dates associated with sever trauma such as accidents, deaths, divorces, abuse, trials, violence, etc. If you don’t know the exact date do the research to find out when it was. Your subconscious remembers when things happen even if you don’t, so bring the important dates out of the dark.

• Step 2: Rate these dates 1-5. 1 being the least stressful and 5 being the most stressful. Take your time doing this. Consider not just what happened at that moment, but what else stemmed from the situation. Maybe the you had a car accident that hurt your neck, but the time off work caused you to lose your house. Which date do you really tie the stress too?

• Step 3: Assess your behavior surrounding every date with a level 5 trauma value next too it. During that time of year do you have trouble returning phone calls? Are you more likely to make rash decisions? Do you over schedule your clients? Have you fired someone every year on that date like clockwork?

Now that you know what times of year you will most likely operate with compromised decision making skills, it is time to plan for the event rather then pretend nothing will happen.

Plan ahead for your behavior

• Step 1: Share the list of dates with a level 5 response with key members of your staff and be open about what behavior they might expect surrounding said dates. Examples: “Next month will be difficult for me. I may have trouble sleeping and issues with decision making. I may need to take time off to avoid poor performance or ineffective management habits. I want to do what’s best for my employees and my company, and trying to pretending that I’m okay is not what’s best.” Ask for their ideas on ways to lighten your workload without overwhelming the staff.

• Step 2: Keep your scheduling light during level 5 trauma anniversaries. This is not the time to schedule big sales meetings, staff reviews or a big product launch. Pushing through these trauma anniversaries will only lead to poor, reflex decision-making that will damage your bottom line, just don’t do it. Plan ahead, be responsible.

• Step 3: Have a back-up plan and support system in place. If you suspect you may react more strongly to the anniversary due to such things as media coverage, unrelated exterior stress, or because the trauma happened recently, then pull in outside help. Create a system for temporarily managing your clients so you can meet their needs, while still meeting your own. If you need to, hire a temp or bring in help for that week only. Be clear about the situation and accept help in planning the best way to get through it.

• Step 4: Get back on the horse. Once the date has passed move quickly to return all systems to normal. This is the most important part, don’t prolong the process. Practice a quick and effect return to normal company behavior. It is important you demonstrate to both your clients and your staff that stepping back was a momentary move and not a permanent desire to do less.

When you model this behavior for your staff you will build the trust necessary for them to share the issues they struggle with and build a framework for your company to deal effectively with life’s trauma’s as they unfold in the future.

Throughout this process it is important to remember there is no shame in trauma and there is no shame is addressing how it has affected your life. It is a basic fact of the human experience and if addressed, it can be managed and addressed in a healthy productive way over time. You will also find that identifying these dates and your responses associated with them will lead to smoother transitions through them and eventually they may have no negative impact at all.

To learn more about the effects of trauma on the brain during trauma anniversaries I recommend the following two links:

http://dartcenter.org/content/self-study-unit-3-photography-trauma-3

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm