In September 2011, almost 1/2 of tablet users made purchases using their device. 12% of Internet-using Americans own tablets.We are also seeing an increase of purchases made on tablets than on smart phones.

Here’s an eye-opener out of Website Magazine about Tablet usage:

“Mobile advertising company Jumptap, in conjunction with comScore, recently released Wave Two of its ongoing research project titled Understanding Mobile Audience, which “shows that tablet owners are almost as likely as PC and laptop owners to use their tablet device to make purchases.” According to the study, a whole 63 percent of tablet owners make purchases on their devices; this is compared to 83 percent of PC owners who shop on their computers.

How do you know if your customers use tablets?

Right now, here are some facts:

60% of tablet users are male
48% are 18-34 years old
43% have households incomes of $50,000 or more
47% have created a wish list on their tablet in the past month

Scan over the flyer below, there’s really interesting finds!

Does it really work? What are the catches? As an experiment, I’ll be trying out Square for my business over the next few month for credit card transactions. I do appreciate my current merchant account, but if I use Square, I could save over $180/year in monthly fees and extra fees. Sounds like a deal I can’t beat.

In the meantime, I interviewed a few Portland, Oregon businesses on why they have chosen Square and how’s it’s helping their business.

Dane Ault with Monkey Minion Press mentioned that
“We’d been wanting to add credit card processing to our convention appearances for a while before Square came out, but due to the costs associated (monthly fees, processing costs, etc) and the arcane mumbo-jumbo that most of the credit processing companies we looked at wanted, it was just unfeasible, no matter how much it might grow our bottom line. We looked into the credit procesing services offered by Costco, and a few others things that had iphone apps and those cell phones with the card swipers built into the sides.”

Dane noticed that their sales close to doubled once they could accept credit cards at their shows. Folks didn’t mind forking over their credit card to pay for items. He’s pretty happy with how Square has met their needs. He said “The fact that the Square app can also double as basically a mobile Point-of-Sale system and cash register is just fantastic in helping us keep track of not just credit card sales but cash sales, too.”

Kim Malek at Salt and Straw explains why they chose Square:

“We researched many traditional options but found the industry to be quite confusing.  We appreciate the systems to track sales by category and check on sales remotely at any time…I can keep track of what’s going on and call the shop to do things like manage labor or get more inventory as needed. Plus, it’s paper free, which supports our mission of doing what we can to tread lightly in the planet.”

Kim also mentioned some surprises they didn’t expect such as seeing their customer enjoy paying on an Ipad.

“People live seeing the sleek design and innovative interface…like getting to sign with their finger and have their receipt texted or emailed to them. It’s the only POS that causes people to cheer out in delight and call their friends over to watch them pay!”

She noted some cons were the system doesn’t accommodate for tipping so there’s been a decline in tips and some confusion with customers on the whole tipping thing in general. She also mentioned that Square is working on resolving tipping with their system.

Marco Madian, a massage therapist, found the using Square gave him the flexibility to accept credit cards no matter where he is. He works out of 2-3 offices and wanted to be able to bill for chair massages and Square is making it possible!

Marco mentioned that the downsides he’s found are the tipping aspect as well. He stated

“It would be nice if people wanted to tip that it’s not a straight % that they could just add a $$ amount instead.  As a Service Industry (massage) people often tip but to add 10-15% is not normal, usually it’s like $5 – $10 or something similar.”

Dane, Kim and Marco are overall pretty excited about Square and it sounds like it’s helping to grow their businesses. In the part two of this report on Square, I explore how I’ve been using it and talk more how mobile devices are allowing businesses to use services like Square.

It is no secret that the popularity of social media sites continues to grow. Smart online
businesses are taking advantage of the ability to sell through social media sites like
Facebook and Twitter. Even businesses that do not offer products can still leverage
social media to build brand awareness or increase the number of leads or sale for a
service.

The power of social media is that it enables businesses of all sizes to play on the same
field and compete for the same customers. Anyone who would like to find easy ways to
sell online can do so very easily with the help of an ecommerce website and social media
marketing tools.

If you’re a small business looking to get started, but feel overwhelmed by the number of
options – then look no further. We’ll break it down for you in four easy steps.

1. Create an ecommerce website.

You have two main options: first, you can add a “shopping cart” to your existing website. This enables you to create online transactions. PayPal and Google Checkout are two very easy options. If you don’t have an ecommerce website or if yours currently needs an upgrade, do some research before you commit to buy. There are many ways to get an ecommerce website for free or for very little money. The most important question to ask an ecommerce website provider is if your new website can grow with your business? For example, if you have 10 products now, but hope to grow to 100, will your website be able to handle it? Will you be charged a much higher fee? What other charges could there be (e.g. hosting, bandwidth, images, SSL)?

2. Build a strong social brand by developing your ecommerce friendships online.

To build your social brand online you will need to establish a strong presence. One way to
do this is by developing a following online in the social media sites. Start engaging others
regularly in conversations and work in ways to talk about your business. The number
one mistake that businesses make is to simply “join” a social network versus “creating
a presence” on a social network. Know the strengths of each social media channel and
think about it as a marketing channel. Remember that social media is simply a way to
engage with your customers. You still have to close the sale.

3. Increase your social presence with help from your existing customers.

One great place to start is to leverage your existing user base. Tell your customers via newsletters,
blogs, and on your website that you’re on Facebook or Twitter and give them a reason to
follow you. These are people who are already interested in you and will probably help
you spread the word about your business. Simple offers like free shipping or customer
appreciation coupons really help to drive the message home. Make your customers your
best brand ambassadors.

4. Sell directly to your customers on social media channels.

While Facebook commerce or F-commerce is still relatively unproven, the possibility of selling to 700 million users can’t be ignored. Therefore, after you have started (because social media an ongoing strategy that never stops) steps 1-3, the next thing to think about is getting your Facebook fans to buy from you. By engaging others in conversation, befriending them and sharing with others people will begin to build up a trust in you and your ecommerce business. If you’re wondering about how to sell on Facebook, there are many providers who can help – many that are free.

5. Define your strategy and stick to them.

Too often small businesses want to hop on the “newest” social media channel. Keep in mind that this channel may not work for your business. The best way to succeed in social media is to stay focused on your end objectives and always calculate your return on investment. If you’re spending 10 hours a week on social media, how much is that worth per hour? Would that money have been better spent on paid search or a new web design? These are all things you should continuously evaluate because social media, but its very nature, is social. This can result in a huge time suck and you have a business to run.

Yelp wants to get on the action of the discounted deals and has started offering Yelp Deals to businesses here in Portland, Oregon. A few weeks ago, they announced this in their newsletter, so I logged in to check it out.  I thought I might try it out for my web hosting plans, but hesitated until I got a chance to write this blog post and research it more.

Here’s the scoop:

• *Yelp will retain 30% of the discounted price from each deal sold.
• *Yelp will pay you monthly, you Yelp Deal will appear on your Yelp page immediately after you sign and create it.

*The Deals are showcased on the top of each business’ Yelp page. The regular price and discounted percentage will also be listed so your customers know what deal they are getting. The Deal will also be highlighted in your search results and a dedicated Deals section of yelp.

*All of Deals are accessible via iPhone and Androids, just like Groupon and LivingSocial. The app allows you to see which deals are offered at nearby restaurants, etc. This is a direct competitor for Groupon Now, a mobile app wanting to accomplish the same thing.

The one advantage Yelp has is that its apps are already popular and used by over 4.5 million people a month. Groupon is still struggling to find that audience with Groupon Now. Slight differences in Yelp Deals approach is announcing deals 1-2x a week, not daily and a slow roll-out. The Deals are only available in 12 cities right now, with new ones being added.

I’ve decided to wait and see how my colleagues do with Yelp Deals, I want to be sure to offer something I don’t mind discounting, especially if there is a payoff through marketing and getting the word out.

It’s gonna be interesting to see which company races along to offer the most deals. Will this trend continue on how we do business day to day? Will customer always expect deals from small businesses, even when we are out of the recession?

Google+ could be a huge competition to Facebook, but one huge part that’s missing is Business Pages. Google+ claims they will release their own version later, but it in order for Google to compete, waiting to introduce it later may not benefit them at all.

Even though Google hasn’t set up a section for businesses to list their information, businesses are still doing it. Google stated they plan to run an experiment to test brand profiles in the next few months. In the test group, they will observe how users interact with commercial brands Profiles through various Google+ services like Circles. If you are a business interested in participating in this test should fill out this web form.

In the meantime they plan to take down “non-user profiles to help deter businesses from doing it. This hasn’t stopped businesses from setting them up, Mashable was one of the first to create a Google+ profle: . Ford Motor Company has also created a Google+ profile.

Word on the street is when the business profiles exist, they will function similar to Facebook Pages with Adwords and Analytic integration. They will be indexed, “followable” and posts/updates can be +1′d, just like the “like” button in Facebook. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.

1) Don’t guess

You might think you know what your clients want, but do you really or are you just assuming? Many businesses fail because they are trying to create or meet a demand that really doesn’t exist and hasn’t been tested properly. It’s always better to test out a product or service and get feedback from a small group of people. Take the time to listen to feedback and really hear what people are looking for in a solution. Finding out what their largest problems are and providing a solution for that can be very rewarding and target a better market.

2) Keep in Touch

Don’t be afraid to talk candidly to your clients. Check in on how they are doing, what’s going on in their life and if their problems are being solved. Just pick up the phone and call them out of the blue.

3) Send a Card

Just a simple note let’s people know you care. How many times in the last month have you gotten a hand written note? Exactly, stand out and do it a few times a year with your customers, I bet you’ll be surprised at the results. Even use unique stationary if you can, something funny or touching can really help you show your emotions.

4) Set up a loyalty program

Look at other programs that you’d like to base your program on. Learn what’s working for them and what could be improved on. Read up here for some examples on customer loyalty reward program.

5) Do your Best

To keep customers coming back, ALWAYS promise what you deliver. If a problem pops up, let your customer know and create a plan on how to deal with it.

Have you checked out the latest version of Skype ? It’s pretty slick, the interface on my MacBook is such a huge improvement since the version they had a year ago.

I use Skype to talk to friends and family overseas, in different states, to talk to colleagues and much more. Skype is connecting people all around the world, here’s a story about how Skype allowed a Father in Iraq to experience his son’s birth via Skype and iPhone .

It’s such a fun tool to use for video conferencing. Using Skype reminds me of Blade Runner and how they would talk to each other through video. I have a 5 month old daughter and since my daughter’s grandparents live in different cities, Skype has allowed us to talk to them via web cams easily. It’s a fun way to watch her grow up and change each week and connect with her through voice and games.

I’ve been using Skype as a business tool for many years. I’ve been using it as my main phone line for my business since 2008. I was able to buy a phone number through my account as well as voice mail so if I miss a call, I can catch who called me. One of the best features that I like to use is having the app set up on my iPhone so even if I’m not at my computer, I can catch a Skype call on iPhone. For more business and freelance ideas using Skype, check out this article: http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-use-skype-to-win-clients-and-grow-your-freelancing-business/

Did you know that you can call for free when you call one Skype account to another Skype account? The latest version of Skype works on mobile phones and certain flat screens as well. They even have a feature that lets you do group video calling http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/features/allfeatures/group-video-calls/ On the Skype blog, there’s a section called “User Stories”: http://blogs.skype.com/play/user-stories/ Definitely a nice “pick-me-up” on how technology is helping to improve our lives.

Microsoft is looking to aquire Skype, let’s hope it stays a great tool. How does Skype help you in your business or personal life?

Mother’s Day isn’t just a sentimental holiday. Last year,  Americans spent $14.1 billion dollars on their moms. Americans purchase a combination of traditional gifts like household or gardening goods as well as spa treatments and electronics and gifts cards.

If you own an ecommerce website or website that offers services that can treated as gifts – here’s a few tips that can apply future holidays like Father’s Day.

Offer Holiday-Related Coupons Codes Gift cards bring in 1.5 billion dollars of spending during the year. When consumers are in a hurry, gift cards can’t be beat. Offering themed coupon codes such as promotional discounts on golf clubs for Dads and higher ticketed items that may not sell as well.

Keep you Customers in the Loop Using email newsletters, you can keep your customers “in the know” about special products, services, sales, and more. Don’t be afraid to talior your emails for certain audiences. For example, one email geared towards couples for wedding seasons. Plan ahead (6 months or more) and use strategy to gain the right customers.

Free or Discounted Shipping Everyone loves a deal and it’s hard to argue with free shipping. These days many people live far away from family, so if you can save them a trip to the post office, you are making their lives much easier!

Host a Contest Everyone loves contests! Introducing the contest can be done through social media (twitter or facebook). Some ideas could be naming a new product, submitting a funny photo, or answering a hard question. Offer a gift card or shopping spree to the winner.

These are just a few ideas, have fun with it. Promoting your ecommerce site during holidays should be a fun experience and help you get your customers excited about what your business is doing.

Here’s a low down of some useful articles that can help out your business!

Want to know the pros and cons of using Groupon or its competitors?

http://www.inc.com/guides/201104/10-pros-cons-for-using-groupon.html?partner=newsletter_Goods

A favorite blog of mine, “My Wife Quit Her Job” – has an interesting blog post. I really like Steve’s writing style, check it out.

The Secrets To Being Successful With Any Business You Launch

A nice overview of search engines for online stores, it always good to be aware of what’s out there.

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/2715-11-Shopping-Search-Engines-to-Sell-Your-Products

Does your Facebook Fan Page need a Facelift? Check out these options:

http://www.inc.com/ss/9-tips-help-redesign-your-company-facebook-page?partner=newsletter_Success

Something we can all benefit from, ways to gain more business from existing customers: Some of the ideas include complementary products/services and stay in touch.

http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/get-more-sales-from-existing-customers.html?partner=newsletter_Sales

A local group, CEIC asked me to give a marketing presentation last  month. I have been talking to alot of people about story telling and having a purpose. I thought that it would be very pertinent for small businesses that are struggling with the economy to go to the chalkboard and reinvent themselves (or strengthen their current brand). My thought process was to demonstrate the “story” principle is to begin with local businesses that belong to the CEIC.

Get to Know Your Neighbor Tours

The CEIC offers once a month to go to a local members business for a tour. The “Get to Know your Neighbor” have been very successful for our group. They all begin the tour of the facilities with the owner going into detail about the company’s story. Franz Bakery, Taos Tea, Pratt & Larsen, Dennis Uniform or David’s School Specialty Co are just a tasting of the tours that we have had this year. Repeating their story to people in the community is an important part of marketing your company’s brand. And it is not important that the owner of the company knows it but their employees as well. If they understand the story, they will understand the company’s purpose. People like stories and like to tell others!

There is a little more of a challenge when you have a company that falls into the “Generic” category. Dentists, bankers, doctors, financial advisors, designers, etc. Even my company, Inkspot Graphics, has been a challenge to differentiate between me and my competitors. Besides making money… what is my purpose? To find out more about Inkspot Graphic’s story and purpose.

What About When You Don’t Know Your Marketing Story?

Your story has to peak your audiences curiosity. It is not that I am efficient or save my clients time & money. It can be that you work closely with non- profits, charities or support local schools. If you still are drawing a blank, I recommend that you talk to your clients and listen to your employees. They will help you.

Back in 2008, we had a little downturn. Most of my business at that point was accomplished by word-of-mouth. I found out the hard way that is one poor way to market your business. Since then, I have reached out to strategic partners to assist me in marketing my business. I have a group of professional men & women have an identical business model as my company. They compliment me. They help me brainstorm marketing ideas (for my clients). It is a very proactive way to help your clients build their companies.

Strategic Partner, Lasko Printing, has saved my Butt a Couple of Times

One of my partners is Lasko Printing. I can tell you of a couple times when they saved my butt. A good example of this is when their pre-press specialist called me and said, “I don’t do this very often but I was reading part of your CEIC postcard and it really didn’t make sense.” I told him that I am not a copywriter but he was definitely correct. Another time I had a piece that didn’t fold correctly and we worked it out and my client was very happy with the final product. I wouldn’t have the same results if I printed either of these pieces with an on-line printer. The on-line printing market is after pleasing color and bulk runs of printing. You cannot get any first timer advice. . .period!

Now back to your story.
I would ask you to do two things.

1.  First read a great book by Annette Simmons called “The Story Factor”.

2.  Call me at my office and I will sit down with you over coffee and we will brainstorm your story.

It is important for your business to have a story and you and should make your employees evangelists which will spread the news of your purpose!