Business.com |
- How to Reduce Cart Abandonment During Checkout
- Are You Eligible for the Qualified Business Income Deduction?
- How To Leverage Seasonality To Boost Visits to Your Website
- What Is a High-Risk Business Loan, and What Industries Can It Help?
- How to Develop a TV Advertising Campaign
- SPONSORED: Which QuickBooks Is Best for Business?
| How to Reduce Cart Abandonment During Checkout Posted: 22 Jan 2020 08:00 AM PST 
Do you have an online business with a high cart abandonment rate? If so, you're not alone. On average, 68% of people will bounce from your checkout page without completing their purchase. It's your job as a business owner or marketer to retain these people and keep them interested in your brand. The thing is, there are plenty of reasons someone might abandon their cart. Lack of engagement, complicated checkout processes, limited accessibility, and distractions like social media are just four of the main causes of this phenomenon. Here are several tips to help you overcome these sales barriers. Additionally, we will show you how to put this advice in practice so you can reduce the number of people that leave your website without completing their purchase. Understand your target audienceWhen you're marketing to leads through email and social media, is there a process you use to distribute content? One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when trying to convert leads is marketing to people that do not fit their ideal customer personas. Customer personas are essentially profiles that consist of traits possessed by people who benefit most from your product or service. For instance, if you run an email marketing SaaS, one of your customer persona traits should mention that this person is struggling to generate leads, or that they want to learn new ways to reach consumers. Knowing pain points and goals help you plan your marketing material, which is designed to bring people to your checkout page. Imagine what would happen if you got that process wrong. Let's say you create a marketing plan that only features the content you think consumers want to see. Suddenly, your cart abandonment rate is at an all-time high. People are not making the connection between your marketing material and product, which causes them to leave your website. This probably means that the people who would benefit the most from your product don't have the same vision or understanding of the product you're offering. The best thing you can do is step back and take a look at your analytics data. You'll find a wealth of information about your customers through your email, social media and website data. Compile all of this information and create an experience that matches the goals, pain points and values of your audience and put it into practice, and you will see a reduction in cart abandonment. Simplify the checkout processIf you want to reduce the number of people leaving your website, you have to consider redesigning your checkout page. We have all visited a website to buy something, only to discover that the checkout process has five pages. If you're like many others, you left that page and never looked back. Now take that experience and apply it to your own business. Ask yourself the following questions:
If you answered no to any of these questions, you might want to consider simplifying your checkout page and procedure. One of the reasons consumers demand simple checkout processes is because many are using their smartphones to complete their purchases. Smartphones are convenient for consumers, but the small screens and precision required to navigate checkout pages discourage some users, resulting in an abandoned cart. This trend shows no signs up letting up, with mobile sales predicted to overtake PC sales by 2021. Add accessibility optionsSimplicity is great, but accessibility is a necessary component of every website. In a nutshell, accessibility boils down to creating a stellar user experience. Visitors should come to your website for the first time and understand how to navigate your site – including your checkout page. There are several UX decisions you can make that will streamline your checkout process and reduce abandonment. For starters, make sure consumers can see their cart icon, even if they are not done browsing. The cart serves two purposes. First, it acts as a reminder that the consumer put something in their cart and needs to checkout. The second reason is it improves accessibility by helping new users instantly navigate to their cart so they can complete their purchase. We also suggest adding a to your checkout page a chatbot that leads the consumer to a live chat agent if they have questions. Nothing will make someone leave your store like uncertainty. Your support team should be able to handle all of the problems that come their way. The accessibility of a live support team while on the checkout page can significantly reduce the number of people who leave your site without becoming customers. Remarket to abandoning visitorsRemarketing, which is also called retargeting, is a marketing practice where you reach out to consumers that already abandoned your checkout page. The idea here is if you can convince them to come back and complete their purchase, your overall abandonment rate will fall. There are several ways to engage with consumers that fall into this category. But first, let's talk about how you add customers to your retargeting list. We are all familiar with the new regulation, where websites have to let you know if they are leaving cookies behind on your browser. These cookies are dropped and used to identify trends, like leaving a cart with items, so marketers can make a more enticing offer to convince the person to complete their purchase. Social media is an excellent platform for retargeting. There are over 3 billion people across all social media platforms, and you can safely bet that your target audience uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or one of the other countless smaller platforms. When that person is browsing their social media account, you can trigger ads, because of the cookie, that allows you to present a new offer. For instance, you could tell consumers if they come back and complete their purchase within 24 hours, you'll give them 25% off their order. Additionally, you can send email reminders to participants that created an account with their email address. This method of retargeting involves you automating emails to consumers that abandon their cart with a reminder that they left before completing their purchase. The key here is pacing. Don't flood consumers with retargeting emails. Instead, send one within 24 hours, one after 72 hours, and one a week after they left your website. Don't get discouraged by your cart abandonment percentage. You won't find a single business owner that sells to every person they meet. However, you can use these tips to improve your current checkout process and reduce the number of people that leave your website. Before long, you'll have a manageable abandonment rate, more sales and increased engagement. |
| Are You Eligible for the Qualified Business Income Deduction? Posted: 22 Jan 2020 07:00 AM PST  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act added a new tax deduction for pass-through business owners that will continue through 2025. This deduction, known as the Section 199A deduction or the qualifying business income deduction (QBID), allows eligible business owners to deduct up to 20% of their business income from their income taxes. So, for example, if you have $100,000 in pass-through income, you might be able to deduct $20,000. That will potentially reduce your income taxes by $4,400 if you're in the 22% tax bracket. Since QBID is an excellent opportunity for small business owners to decrease their tax bill, it's crucial to understand the rules. Who can claim the pass-through deduction?To qualify for the Section 199A deduction, you must meet the following criteria:
Are there any restrictions?There are four limitations to keep in mind before calculating your pass-through deduction:
What is a specified service business?If you operate a specified service trade or business (SSTB), then your deduction phases out at certain thresholds. This restriction is designed to prevent highly compensated individuals who provide personal services from having their employers reclassify them as independent contractors to take advantage of the Section 199A deduction. The list of SSTBs includes:
For specified service providers, the deduction is gradually phased out up to $210,700 (filing single) or $421,400 (married filing jointly). At the top of this range, you're not eligible to take the deduction at all. Furthermore, your deduction cannot exceed the greater of
So, if your company does not have any employees or own any property, you won't qualify for the deduction. How do you calculate the Section 199A deduction?If you're filing as single and make $160,725 or below, or you're married filing jointly and earning $321,400 or below, simply multiply your QBI by 20% and take the maximum possible deduction. If you make more than that threshold, things get significantly more complicated. If your company is not an SSTB, your maximum deduction will depend on how much above the threshold you are. No matter how much above the wage limit you make, you'll be restricted, at least partially, by W-2 wages and property. When you're calculating your deduction, you'll take the greater of the following two amounts into account:
If you're filing as single and make between $160,726 and $210,725, or you're married filing jointly and earn between $321,401 and $421,400, take the following steps:
Example: Let's say you're single with a QBI of $175,735 and no other income. You also pay one W-2 employee $50,000 per year and don't own any property.
If you're filing single and earn more than $50,000 over $160,725, if you're married filing jointly and make more than $100,000 over $321,400, you'll be fully subject to the W-2 wage and property limitation. To calculate your deduction, follow these steps:
For example, you're married filing jointly with $550,000 of total taxable income. $450,000 of that is your QBI. You pay your employees $150,000 in W-2 wages and own property with a value of $500,000.
How do specified service providers calculate the pass-through deduction?To calculate your deduction, take the following steps:
Example: You're filing single and have $180,725 in total income. Your account business earned $150,000 of that. Your company has one employee, whom you paid $50,000, and does not own any property.
Three things to know before taking the QBIDIf you qualify for the pass-through deduction, you don't have to elect to take it or do anything special – you can just claim it on your income tax return. But, there are three things you should know before taking the deduction:
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| How To Leverage Seasonality To Boost Visits to Your Website Posted: 22 Jan 2020 06:00 AM PST  Every business feels the impact of seasonality in its operations. Seasonality can create fluctuations in your site's engagement, website traffic and conversions. Not all businesses experience extreme changes from seasonality, but they do feel it at different levels. Some businesses experience clear cycles, such as clothing and sports industries. Others, such as online health and fitness membership sites can see a surge during the new year or as summer approaches. Seasonality can mean different things for different businesses. It can revolve around visible seasonal changes, such as summer or winter. It can also refer to events like Mid-Summer's Day, Christmas, and other popular holidays. Other examples of seasonal events include a business's fiscal timeline such as year-end reports and tax return periods. The first day of school is a significant event for stationery and clothing businesses. You need to take seasonality into account to measure your business's performance accurately. Without taking seasonal changes into consideration, you may believe that your performance is poor when it's actually good. You also need to be prepared for periodic changes during the year to prepare for slumps. Seasonal changes provide opportunities for your business. You can leverage seasonal changes to help your business get traffic, stand out on social media, and create more customers. Your business can benefit from the spirit of the occasion and your audience's disposition that's influenced by the current season. Use seasonality to boost engagement and conversions on your website. Here are some helpful ways to leverage seasonality by creating and optimizing your content. Conduct content researchSeasonal content that's relevant and helpful are more likely to appear as search results. Search engines take freshness and seasonality into consideration when delivering results. You can create the best content with the help of research and market data. Use a content curation tool or a free tool like Google Trends to find out what people are searching for online. Such tools can give you valuable insights into trends and the kind of content that does well online. You'll also be able to create the right format for the right platform. For example, a blog post with a to-do list may do well on Facebook but a video "story" will do better on Instagram. Your audience is also a great source of content ideas. Use a survey form tool on your website to get feedback from customers on what they want to see. Finally, one of the best ways to research content and create relevant material is to ask your coworkers or employees. The sales and customer support team directly interact with your customers and can help you focus on the right topics. Create fresh and relevant contentYour content needs to reflect the changes happening in your environment. Creating timely and relevant content is a powerful way to engage with your audience, especially when your content mirrors the season. Event and season-specific searches increase during this time. Queries around recipes, gifts, traditions, and more are common. You can take advantage of this by creating content in advance once you've done content research. Some examples of helpful content are:
There are many more examples of useful content. Remember that video content creates the most engagement on social media platforms. Prepare digital assets for your site and social media profiles, and update all your platforms with new content. Repurpose previous contentYou can make use of content that you created for past seasonal events. Take a look at the content that worked well and repurpose it to boost engagement and conversions. Adding a Google Analytics plugin to your website makes it possible to identify your best performing content. You can refresh your best content and use it in future seasonal campaigns. It can be a template that supports your seasonal marketing efforts. You also save time and effort. Older campaigns that were successful can be leveraged to build traction over time. Recurring campaigns can become familiar to people, and they may even look forward to your yearly marketing campaign. You can repurpose content and marketing campaigns to build anticipation and get attention. Another way to excite positive emotions in people is to create giveaways. Create giveawaysGiveaways are an effective way to engage with your audience. People feel excitement and anticipation when there's an opportunity to get something for free. Such emotions can make them more willing to share your content on social media and via email. You can leverage giveaways to create user-generated content. Hold a contest asking users to come up with ideas or to create content for you. In Starbucks's White Cup campaign, people were encouraged to draw on the brand's iconic white cup. This campaign generated significant buzz online and boosted engagement. You can create a giveaway on your WordPress site with a plugin. Encourage participants to share the giveaway on social media for more chances to win. You can also use the giveaway to drive traffic to your website by adding links to your social media giveaway campaign. Focus on link buildingLink building plays a vital role in boosting SEO. Great content can lead to backlinking on its own steam. However, you can play a more active role in creating links by creating guest posts. Collaborate with different publications and blogs to publish your guest posts on their site. You can reach out to other circles that are interested in your domain and link back to your site. Encourage your readers and social media audience to share your content on their own blog platforms. Create calls to action asking your audience to like, comment, and share your content. It's essential to work on your link building strategy over time. You need to build links gradually before the holiday season or event that you're focusing on begins. Offer limited-period discountsSeasonal holidays and events are a great time to offer discounts. People are more willing to buy, and a discount will create greater value for customers. Seasonal discounts are time-bound, which creates a Fear of Missing Out or FOMO. Your audience will be more likely to purchase from you since they'll be eager to take a limited-time opportunity. Offering discounts during certain seasons is a common but effective way to boost sales. It's also a powerful means to reengage customers who are not active on your site. Build your social media marketingSocial media is vital to leverage the opportunity seasonality provides. Your content for different holidays and events should be planned before the season begins. It's essential to create relevant and informative content because 55% of buyers do research on social media before making a purchase. Here are some suggestions you can use to create your social media strategy:
Seasonal changes impact every business, creating fluctuations, and affecting performance. It's possible to prepare for seasonal variations in advance. You can even leverage seasonality to generate higher than usual conversions for your business. Creating fresh content and optimizing it for SEO are key ways to increase positive engagements. Seasonality offers opportunities that you can take advantage of. Use the suggestions given here to engage with your audience and help your business grow. |
| What Is a High-Risk Business Loan, and What Industries Can It Help? Posted: 22 Jan 2020 05:15 AM PST 
One of the most common problems that business owners face is securing the right funding for their businesses. Regardless of how world-changing you think your business idea is, you will need some type of financing to get it off the ground. There is no one-size-fits-all funding solution, since the best business loan or financing option for each business depends on several factors; however, many business owners and entrepreneurs turn to business loans as a temporary means to an end. Traditional lenders typically require businesses to have a good credit history. They follow strict guidelines to assess how risky each investment is, which ultimately determines whether or not they are willing to lend your business money. This is something that many startups and businesses in risky industries struggle with. As a result, some businesses and entrepreneurs have no choice but to finance their business with a high-risk business loan. What is a high-risk business loan?High-risk business loans (e.g., merchant cash advance, short term loan, invoice factoring, etc.) are last-resort financing options for businesses that are considered too risky by traditional lending standards. When approving someone for a business loan, traditional lenders analyze a business's creditworthiness based on the five C's of credit: character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions. Businesses that fall short in any of these categories are categorized as "high risk" and will likely find it difficult to obtain a traditional business loan. As such, they will have to seek alternative funding instead. High-risk business loans are often too risky for traditional lenders to approve. Neal Salisian, a business attorney and partner of Salisian Lee LLP, represents predominantly lenders and investors, as well as small- to medium-size businesses. As someone familiar with lending and investing, he said there are specific conditions that often constitute a high-risk loan. "High-risk business loans are ones with high interest rates, large payments or frequent payment requirements, [they are] short term, [have] interest rate hikes at default, [and are] collateralized with important assets or [they are] ones that are personally guaranteed," Salisian told business.com. Although the conditions for financing a high-risk business may be somewhat similar, there are a few different high-risk business loan options to choose from. Each comes with its own set of advantages, disadvantages and stipulations. We spoke with financial experts to learn what the most common loan options are. Rob Misheloff, CEO of SmarterFinance USA, said small businesses can seek out merchant cash advances, subprime equipment financing, subprime business loans or hard money loans against real estate. Jared Weitz, CEO and founder of United Capital Source, said short-term loans and invoice factoring are other common high-risk financing options, and he said that business credit cards, asset-based loans, and personal business loans are also financing alternatives that can be considered. There are many financing options available to high-risk businesses, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are right for your business. Research each type of alternative lending option and high-risk loan available to learn which one fits your specific needs. Keep in mind, high-risk loans should be looked at as short-term fixes during temporary working capital shortfalls. "High-risk loans can be a good tool to get a business back from the brink if used properly, but they shouldn't be considered a long-term financing solution because of the risk and because of what they can signal to the industry (consumers, investors, potential partners included) about your business's health," said Salisian. Editor's note: Need a loan for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you with free information. What businesses are considered high risk?Business financing is tricky to navigate. There are many requirements, and sometimes applying for a loan or funding seems hopeless. It is important that you understand how lenders view your business so you apply for financing that makes the most sense for your specific company. Knowing whether you are a high risk is just one step to understanding your status. Businesses with bad creditAs expected, companies with a poor credit history are considered high risk. Both the business credit history and your personal credit score can impact this analysis. If you have a poor track record for repaying on credit, it is unlikely that a traditional lender will invest in you. Businesses with no creditLike bad credit, businesses with no credit at all are considered high-risk investments. If you don't have a credit history, lenders have no frame of reference to assess the likelihood that you will repay them. You can make all the promises you want, but without a solid credit history to back you up, traditional lenders will likely turn you away. New businesses and startupsStartups and new businesses typically have very little revenue and unstable business metrics for lenders to evaluate. Although being a new business can drop you in the "high-risk" box, there are ways to receive funding. To prove your value to a lender, use a well-thought-out business plan to demonstrate your anticipated revenue and projections. Businesses with uncontrolled revenue streamsYour stream of business revenue also impacts how risky a lender sees your company. Salisian said two primary business types that can be considered high risk to a lender are those with cyclical or irregular income streams and those with little to no control over repayment capacity (e.g., a business where current funding depends on third parties or external controls). Businesses in volatile and risky industriesThe industry you operate in impacts how risky your business is perceived by lenders. Although this can vary on a case-by-case basis, the uncertainty of how the economy may impact your ability to repay can be worrisome to traditional lenders. Misheloff also said that "sin" industries – adult entertainment, tobacco, marijuana, and gambling – are often seen as high risk to traditional lenders. What constitutes a high-risk commercial lender?High-risk commercial lenders provide financial investments to risky businesses that are unable to secure funding through traditional lending options. By assuming a greater risk in investment, high-risk lenders expect to receive a greater return. "High-risk commercial lenders specialize in 'non-prime' transactions," said Misheloff. "They are typically smaller private institutions." To offset the danger of lending to risky companies, high-risk commercial lenders often require businesses to agree to aggressive repayment terms. For example, to receive a loan, a high-risk business might have to make large payments or pay high interest rates. Some lenders even require a business to provide some collateral, in case they are unable to repay their loan. Weitz said high-risk lenders must pay special attention to unexpected losses. Some businesses are, in fact, too risky for high-risk lenders. Lenders must also build reserves in the event of an unexpected loss from a high-risk loan. Weitz explained how this reserve can be built as loss prevention. "One way that lenders work with conditions like this is through establishing a borrowing base, where the line of credit is provided based on the level of accounts receivable and inventory," said Weitz. "This will be set up such that the borrowed amount is aligned to the assets needed to be converted to cash in order to repay." What are the benefits of high-risk loans?Although there can be many downfalls to giving or receiving a high-risk loan, there are a few benefits that can make it worthwhile for some lenders and small businesses. Before committing to a high-risk loan, weigh the pros and cons to see if it is the right financial move for your company. Borrower benefitsSmall businesses and entrepreneurs should proceed with caution when they are looking into high-risk loans, as there are many risks. There are a few benefits they can take advantage of though, with the two primary benefits being accessibility and money. "When a business can make enough profit to justify the high cost of funds and cannot access capital any other way, high-risk loans make good business sense," said Misheloff. "Without access to those funds, the business may lose an opportunity." Acquiring a high-risk loan may be the only option left for some businesses and entrepreneurs. If this is the case, it is important to project your future earnings as honestly as possible and use the money wisely to avoid digging yourself into a deeper hole. "Be smart to optimize the usage of this financing and build a solid return on investment that will offset any higher interest rates or fees based upon your risk assessment standing," said Weitz. Lender benefitsLending money to high-risk businesses may seem like the consequences aren't worth the rewards. For example, what if you lend to people who can't or won't pay you back? Rest assured, there are a few benefits to being a high-risk lender, with the largest benefit being money. Just because high-risk lenders provide money to high-risk borrowers doesn't mean they provide money to everyone who applies. They vet potential borrowers to see who has the strongest likelihood of repaying. While it may be true that some borrowers won't have the means to repay their loan, high-risk lenders have guidelines in place to remit those losses. High-risk lenders protect themselves by requiring that borrowers make large or frequent payments and charging high interest rates. When it comes time to collect, their return on investment is often considerably higher than what a traditional lender would receive. What are alternatives to high-risk business loans?Since high-risk loans are just that – high risk – it is recommended that small businesses and entrepreneurs only rely on them as a last resort. There are several other alternatives that you can seek out, depending on the reason behind your "high-risk" status. "Alternatives for high-risk loans include peer-to-peer lending, angel investors, external lenders and getting a co-signer for the loan," said Weitz. "All enticing options that should be vetted out during the financing process." Misheloff added that small business owners can investigate other alternatives like supplier (trade) financing, borrowing from friends and family, or possibly even seeking a personal loan. He said that personal loans can sometimes be cheaper than business loans. How you finance your business is a major decision that greatly impacts your overall financial success. Analyze every possible funding option to determine which one is best for your business. Once you receive funding, manage your cash flow wisely so you can avoid borrowing again in the future. |
| How to Develop a TV Advertising Campaign Posted: 22 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST  It seems that you finally have made the decision of advertising your product or service on television and are on the lookout for some insightful ideas regarding the same. Firstly, you need to understand that the idea is quite a productive one, provided the initiation is perfect. Moreover, we, as marketers, need to understand that despite living in a digital era, televisions aren't obsolete and still have a lot of significance when it comes to promoting awareness. Therefore, your idea of advertising on this electronic medium might just be the first step towards success as independent survey reports suggest that up to 80% of businesses improved the ROI by running perfect TV Ad campaigns, precisely by leveraging informational insights and adding the perfect CTA into the scheme of things. How effective is advertising on television?Before we start strategizing the TV Ad campaign, it is necessary to understand how effective it is and what how the effectiveness quotient can be improved upon by getting rid of the impending roadblocks. Television shouldn't be considered as the most power-packed advertising medium as in this digital era, the internet and other digitized mediums are fast eating up a massive chunk of the existing audience-base. While television might help push the desired message out in the open, it might not reach millions in the present age as compared to the scenario, almost a decade back. However, despite its restricted functionality, television advertising should be included in the existing marketing mix, provided you have a great idea in place and there are necessary resources to refine and project the same. However, before envisioning a successful TV marketing campaign, it is necessary to steer clear of the existing roadblocks that can limit the functionality of the same. The first issue that needs to be identified is that getting a primetime television spot isn't the only thing necessary as individuals, courtesy of the DVR functionality, can now skip adverts and head over to the commercial content. The only solution, in this case, is to start the advertisement with a very interesting CTA which would compel the audience to sit through the ad. Another loophole that needs to be taken care of is the attention span of the customers or TV viewers in general. With the advent of other digital viewing options, modern-day audiences aren't quite keen on watching the entire advertisement. While the TV ad campaign might have the ability to reach almost a million households, as a matter of fact only one percent of the same could actually be watching the content and the rest would just skip through or ignore. That said, these hurdles can be crossed with ease if you have the tools, intellect, and intuitiveness to create the perfect TV Ad campaign. How to develop the perfect TV ad campaign?Needless to say, the perfect ad campaign for television needs to take care of several factors, including TV commercial costs, the popularity of existing TV ads, nooks and crannies of TV advertising, and more. While most of these facts and figures can be obtained upon researching the existing landscape, how much does it cost to advertise on TV is one factor that is completely region-specific. So here are the steps or rather strategies that need to be followed in the given sequence for creating the perfect advertising campaign for televisions: The big ideaIt isn't a hidden fact that TV advertising is an expensive affair. However, in order to make every penny spent worth the value; it is necessary to come up with an idea that would even glue the non-interested viewers to the screen. People generally shy away from ads and this is why it is necessary to create something that would keep the individuals interested and guessing till the short snippet is over. The scriptA productive TV ad campaign relies heavily on the script. While the idea matters the most, penning it down in the form of an actionable script is of paramount importance. One approach towards coming up with the best possible script is to take inspiration from similarly created adverts while keeping a close eye on the pacing, direction, and tonality of the pitch. Moreover, the script needs to be punchy enough with short and crisp lines added to keep the time frame on the lower side. Most importantly, the CTA needs to be discreetly portrayed by maintaining the utmost relevance. The nature of the advertisementBased on the premise of your idea, it is necessary to determine whether the advertisement would require a general outlook or professional actors pitching a certain product or service. The idea here is to put forth the demographic rather than including non-professionals into the scheme of things. Include a production firmFor a commercial to look professional enough, it is necessary to make room for a production firm or rather individuals who can provide the same service quality. This aspect can be handled if an all-encompassing firm is involved that takes care of scripts, editing, and even the shooting aspect of the commercial. Shot planningWhile the production firm, if hired, can take care of the shots and other aspects of the shoot, you as the business owner need to be the final authority who finalizes the number and nature of the shots. The production company can do as directed but the entrepreneur is the one who understands the nature of his or her products or service and should plan accordingly. The syncIn order to make room for the best commercial ever, you must take some additional time out to sync the produced video with the required audio. Besides time sync, the theme of both the productions must match to offer the best possible quality. Time managementTV slots for commercials are time-bound and you need to squeeze in the entire snippet within the prescribed time limit for it to be approved. This is why you must be extra careful while shooting the ad in the first place. Include the CTAEvery brand needs to incorporate a Call to Action into the scheme of things regardless of the message the service or product aims to perpetuate. Moreover, unlike the ad which might be an implied one, the CTA needs to be extremely targeted. RelevanceWhile all of the points mentioned in this discussion are important, finding the relevance to the medium is absolutely necessary. For example, a company talking about fire stick tricks and the options for getting the best streaming service right into their TV screens should prioritize TV advertising more than paper, radio, or any other platform. Similarly, the products and services pertaining to acoustics should consider radio advertising as the most prior medium for running campaigns. Ad SchedulingLast but not least, advertisements must be strategically scheduled for the most impact. That said, even the slot and channel placements are necessary to consider. For example, if you are looking to reach out to a wider audience base, choosing a 3 am slot wouldn't be of much help even if the costs associated with this time frame are on the lower side. Similarly, if you are dealing with services and products of a particular nature, it is advisable to market products only on the relevant channels. Content creation for TV ads: Why it is a different genre altogetherUnlike a usual blog or a write-up, an advertisement script needs to be penned down with perfection while keeping the time frame, nature of the audience, and organic inclusion of the CTA into consideration. This is why content creation for TV ads is a completely different genre. Instead of reading, people would be enacting the entire script on video. Therefore, the entire script needs to be written as a visual storytelling experience in order to make the ad campaign a successful one. The cost factorWhen it comes to the cost factor associated with running advertisements on television channels, the major determinants are the slot timings, ad frequency, time frame of the advert, channel of choice, and a host of other tertiary factors. However, for an advertising campaign to succeed, it is necessary to get the most value out of a slot while keeping the ad duration to a minimum. As mentioned previously, the slot and channel of preference are also necessary for promoting the advertisement in the best possible manner. InferenceNeedless to say, television advertisements are everything but cheap and proper care needs to be taken regarding the quality of the campaign for getting the most out of the bucks spent towards the same. However, if you have made up your mind and persisting with television advertising, the mentioned ideas can certainly come in handy in regard to skyrocketing the quality and productivity of the campaign, in a functional and rewarding manner. |
| SPONSORED: Which QuickBooks Is Best for Business? Posted: 21 Jan 2020 03:00 PM PST  Running a small business is a challenge, but it's not impossible if you have the right tools. Solutions like QuickBooks can take a lot of the legwork out of running a business. You can offload tasks like payroll processing, tax compliance, budget tracking and online payment acceptance. You can also run financial reports on your company, granting insight into spreadsheets and other financial information that could make or break a crucial business decision. It can also integrate with 500 apps, so you can keep using the programs that help your business run smoothly and QuickBooks will integrate seamlessly with them. If you run a small business, you've likely heard of Intuit and its all-encompassing financial solution, QuickBooks. It's important, however, to understand exactly what QuickBooks can do for your business, how it can save you time and why you should consider offloading some of your business's operations to a software solution. What can QuickBooks do for your business?Tax complianceOne of QuickBooks' most advantageous features is its built-in tax compliance offering. Processing payroll is complicated and time-consuming. Before you even get to the tax portion, you must calculate hours, input hourly wage, decide on a pay schedule, understand employee withholdings and make the necessary adjustments. QuickBooks' Payroll solution not only handles all of this, it also calculates employee tax withholdings and business tax payments on a quarterly and yearly basis. Payroll taxes are a challenge to figure out, let alone process. Take solace in knowing QuickBooks' Payroll solution can handle all aspects of your business's tax situation. It's also one of the only solutions out there that offers a 100% no-penalty guarantee. Cash flow and tracking expensesOne of the biggest challenges small businesses face is cash flow. Whether you're a new business owner or a seasoned veteran, cash flow (having enough money to cover your business's various expenses) is difficult to maintain. One thing that can help you understand cash flow is visibility into where your money is. One of QuickBooks' strengths is its tracking: You can understand expenses, invoices, income and other aspects of your business's financial situation. The reporting features allow you to see directly into your business's financial situation. QuickBooks connects to your bank and credit card accounts; it downloads all the transaction data and categorizes it. Beyond this basic feature, you can create reports to better understand your business. For example, you can create accounts payable reports to verify when your bills are due and better track when money will be leaving your business. Better budgetingMuch like QuickBooks' ability to track expenses and help you manage cash flow, this software can be used to build accurate, helpful budgets. Part of budgeting is understanding where you stand financially at any given moment. With QuickBooks, you not only have same-day direct deposit, but also trusted, embedded time tracking through TSheets. Accepting online paymentsOnline logistics can be a challenge for any small business, but QuickBooks has a solution that can allow small businesses to easily join the e-commerce market. By adding the QuickBooks Payments feature, small businesses can accept debit and credit card purchases as well as ACH bank transfers. It also provides next-day payment delivery, which is unmatched by competitors in this market. This kind of flexibility can help small businesses compete in a complicated and tech-forward market. Payment method should be the least complicated aspect of doing business with customers or other businesses. With its commitment to providing small businesses with a platform to exchange money in a safe, efficient manner, QuickBooks is living its mission of creating smart connections among the business community. General reporting featuresOne of the biggest highlights of QuickBooks' software is the visibility it provides into your business. It offers a way to organize your business's financial information, from payroll schedules to receipt filings to tax compliance. Understanding your business's financial situation means you can make more informed decisions for your company. It also lets you rest easy at night knowing you're backed by one of the largest providers for small business in the world. What separates QuickBooks from competitorsThere's a lot of payroll and time and attendance providers out there. These key features are what separate QuickBooks from the rest of the industry:
QuickBooks plans and pricing for SMBsThere are several pricing and plan options for small business. QuickBooks is broken down into three main offerings: QuickBooks, QuickBooks with Payroll, or QuickBooks Payroll as a standalone offering. The QuickBooks plans are Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced. The Simple Start plan includes features like income and expense tracking, mileage tracking, and 1099 contractor management. The Essentials plan has everything in the Simple Start plan plus features like bill management and time tracking. The Plus plan includes everything the Essentials plan does and also has features like inventory tracking. The Advanced plan, which is the most robust, includes everything from the other plans as well as business analytics and a designated account manager. QuickBooks Payroll can be added to all these standard QuickBooks plans or purchased on its own. The three payroll plans are Core, Premium and Elite. Features for Core include automatic payroll and automatic tax forms. The Premium plan includes everything in Core plus premium time tracking and expert setup review. The Elite plan is a "white glove" service that includes a designated HR manager and elite onboarding. Check out this full breakdown of QuickBooks' Payroll offerings. For specific pricing, you'll have to check QuickBooks' website. While the company does post its pricing online, it often fluctuates with seasonal deals and other offers. If you have questions, you can use the simple chat feature to get in touch with the company's sales team. Bottom lineThe QuickBooks software offering is not a one-time fee; it's charged on a monthly basis. While it offers a free trial, its most basic plans do have a required fee per month. Overall, QuickBooks, along with QuickBooks Payroll, is a powerful small business tool. It integrates with 500 other small business applications, and you can use it to fully run the back end of your business's operations. It has several features that separate it from competitors, and it keeps the small business owner's needs in mind in its development. QuickBooks can provide a whole host of features to help you run your business. If you want to build a successful, strong small business, you need to invest in solutions to help you build the best company you can. |
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