Wasting Time With Networking?

Blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah. That sums up the effectiveness of so many of the business networking groups. What promises to provide leads for new business is often a time-wasting event that results in little more than a pocketful of business cards you don't want.Some meet weekly, some meet monthly. The national and international groups require an annual fee, oftentimes a monthly fee and the cost of the meeting's meal. The organizers are cheerleaders for their brand and enforce rules that keep the group's momentum going but they are often so stringent the business owner must attend or have the threat of being canceled. Yes, you can get canceled from a networking group.Yet, there are some groups that have the energy and momentum everyone craves. These groups bring out the t in team, where everyone is truly interested in helping other members. They are there for the give and get, not just the "get".In today's world of social media, referrals and reviews, there isn't one of us that couldn't benefit from a little networking. Knowing what to look for before joining can make all the difference in the world. Our tips will help you divide and conquer with as little or as much time as you care to invest.5 Tips for Successful Networking

Determine your goals: What do you want to get out of networking? New business, new connections, new directions? Be quantitative as well as qualitative. Are you looking for a mentor? Sales leads? Or becoming known for being an expert in your field?
Time commitment: How much time do you have or are realistically willing to commit? Daily, weekly, monthly? If you have a lot of time, you might be interested in the in-person, weekly meetings that are held by organizations such as BNI or CEO Space. If your time is tight and it's difficult to commit scheduled time, consider joining the networking groups on Linked In. Many of the Linked In groups are national. The networking is done through conversation threads and introductions. Many hold larger (200 + people) in-person gatherings which might hit your geographic area every 3-4 months, depending on your metro area.
Give and get: The reality is that most participants' motives are to 'get something' through networking. Makes sense, right?. It might be a job, or sales, or referrals - any way you cut it, there are more people out there who are looking to 'get' more than 'give'. A smart networker is armed to do both. Before you get involved, think about what you can offer the group. What does your company or expertise bring to the party?
Effort equals results: Like anything in life, the level of effort you put in generally equals the outcome. That doesn't mean that a huge time commitment equals success. It does suggest that for every hour of time used in this way, make it concentrated and powerful. Bring your ideas and strategies to the group. Think of ways the group can help one another. Joint promotions? Giveaways? Custom-made group offers, like Groupons. Make sure you are doing more than gathering business cards and staying on the surface level of the tool. Get in there and make it work
How to find networking groups: There are several ways to find a plethora of networking groups. The 3 easiest ways to find that which will match your company goals are below. Always remember to check out the current members, reviews (if available), past meetings and goals. The beauty of online networking groups is you can join and cancel without feeling like a traitor.





Linked In: Look for the networking groups or groups with who you would like to do business.
Meetup.com: Depending on your geographic area, there are quite a few options. Search networking groups and read the descriptions carefully.
Associations for networking: Google that exact phrase and similar and it will open doors to yet another group of networking opportunities.

That's the long and the short of it. Networking can help advance your goals if planned properly and if the right groups are selected. The icing on the cake is that you will meet wonderful people who have similar interests and goals.NOTE: Social media, although a form of networking, is in a category of its own and will be covered in future blogs.

Why LinkedIn?

As businesspeople, there is a lot of potential in the ability to network with other businesspeople, in a bid to build relationships so that we can benefit from each other's services. This communication is known as networking.The biggest networking site is LinkedIn. It has around 400 million users around the world. All of these people are looking for people who can help them in their businesses and make their lives a lot easier to manage. But, why LinkedIn? Why don't we just talk in a chat facility or on the phone? What is so great about LinkedIn?Well, there are several things about LinkedIn that can help you in your business. These include
Your LinkedIn profile. These tell other people about what your abilities, background, achievements and skills are. They are also highly popular on Google. To ensure that your profile is at the top of LinkedIn, you need to include the right keywords and phrases. Having more connections on LinkedIn helps too, as these are backlinks and, as most people know, Google loves backlinks.
You have the ability to network with anyone around the world. You can do this by searching for a name ie, "Richard Branson" or "Bill Gates" and searching for their profiles on LinkedIn. If you do search for these guys, you should be warned - there will be a lot of competition.
When you send a request to connect with people and they reciprocate, you will need to follow up with them. This starts the relationship ball rolling. You should be professional and friendly. This will help to build your reputation as a trusted expert in your industry. Therefore, if people need advice or an opinion on something, they will come to you first. This gives you the opportunity to help and persuade them to make a sensible buying decision - maybe even of what you and your company have to sell. It's always nice when people can put a name and a face to a company, especially if they can also class you as a friend.
You need to include all your contact information in your profile. This should include telephone numbers (landline and cell/mobile), email address and most importantly the address of your business website. This is where people can find out more about you and your company.



There are other networking sites, but as LinkedIn is the biggest and most well known, it has to be the best - particularly when you take into consideration the fact that there are 400 million users to do business with. I have found a lot of work for my business through LinkedIn and therefore, so can you.

10 X Tips for Profitable Business Networking: My Favorite Small Business Marketing Strategy!

Small Business Marketing is one massive area with easily hundreds of strategies available to everyone. I recall finding the many choices overwhelming at the start!When I started out, my biggest challenge was really knowing where to start in my business. Do I knock on doors? Do I build a website? What on earth do I call myself? When do I jump on Social Media?To help me get started, I was lucky to meet Grant & Karen Dempsey who were starting 4Networking in Australia (Sydney to be exact). I was very lucky to get in with them as a volunteer and over time I now help manage the thriving business network across Sydney.More or less forged from fire, mistakes and of course lots of awesome wins - I get many people giving me money to teach them how to get the most out of business networking. But as you are of course reading my article, I am going to give you my own Top 10 X tips on the house. There are more of course and I hope these stimulate great thought and insight to help your own business networking experience:1) Work out your approach: What kind of business are you in? What do you do? Great to know this as much as you can before you hit the groups.2) Find a great group: If you Google "business networking" and your capital city, plenty of great options are bound to come up.3) Go and visit a few: Starting to visit a few groups is a really good move to find out where you fit in and where you don't. I visited quite a few who thought I sucked and some who loved me.


4) Realistic Expectations: We have done quite a bit of research to establish how long it takes for people to get business out of networking. This depends on a massive array of factors, however 80% of respondents (of 60+ responses) gave 3 - 6 months.5) Give First: You don't like being sold too and neither does anyone else. So give first through amazing advice and help.6) A tight pitch: Make sure you can summarize what you do in a strict 20 seconds so it makes perfect sense. No one likes being bored with your whole story!7) A great quality product: Make sure your product or service totally rocks and its top quality. People like that and it will help you get great word of mouth!8) Give Referrals: Succeeding in business is about helping people first - sure giving free tips and advice is great, but what about massive referrals? People love that.9) Meet, Like, Know and Trust: No one likes Buying or Selling to someone they don't like - so make friends first and business is the outcome.10) Go all the time and meet people for coffee! Going several times a week and booking plenty of meetings each time is one great amazing strategy to pull this off. It's exactly what we recommend!I trust this fine guide and helped you and if you need a hand, you are welcome to contact me anytime and thank you awesome friends!

The 6 Essential Steps For A Productive Coffee Meeting

If you've been in the business world for any time at all, you've probably heard that you must network to build your business or career.Since you're eager to put sound advice into practice, you find out when the next event is held, grab a stack of business cards, and you arrive ready to make those all important connections.After a couple of hours, you've shaken hands and briefly spoken to 15 - 50 people. When you get back to your office, you have your stack of newly acquired cards in front of you. You can now do one of three things -

Put the cards away so that they can gather dust over the next year or two

Do some "busy work" by entering the contact information into your database of choice and wait for the incoming phone calls and e-mails you're sure to get

Do the real work of not only adding your contacts into your database (and any applicable notes that you took during your initial contact), but also meeting with your new contacts to see how you can start to build a long term business relationship.
Surprisingly, you're among the minority if you chose the option of doing the "real" work of building relationships. That puts you at the head of the class. One of the best ways to start this process is by having a one-on-one coffee meeting.As with any business meeting, there are steps you must take to avoid the trap of wasting your time (and $2.00 - $5.00, depending on your tastes) on "fluff"... talking about all kinds of stuff that have little, if anything, to do with your achieving your business or career goals.Here are six essential steps you must take to ensure that your meeting produces the results that you want; the building of a solid relationship -1. Sort your contacts by potential goal similaritiesThough everyone you meet could potentially lead to your next big sale, or to your ideal job, there's not enough time for you to meet each person individually in a reasonable amount of time. To make the best use of your time, you should concentrate on setting your initial meetings with those that cater to the same customer base that you're targeting, or for the job seeker, those that can put you in touch with a hiring manager in the company for which you'd like to work. This should be done after each networking event you attend.That doesn't mean that you should neglect your other contacts. You should stay in touch with them when they have special occasions in their life, such as anniversaries and birthdays. If you read an article of interest, or know of an event that they may want to attend, pass the information on to them.How would you get this information if you don't meet with them in person? Connect with them on the social media sites.2. Prepare your agenda Your agenda should allow for you to find common ground. You'll want to find out what their goals are for their business. Find out what special skills they have, and what they're especially proud of business-wise and personally. What organizations do they belong to that may be a good fit for your goals?You'll find that it should take approximately 30 minutes to go through this. You'll also find out that you will have discovered much more about your colleague than you know about most of your other contacts.Note - You may find that you're getting along famously with your partner. This is where most people lose control of the business part of the coffee meeting. To keep a great meeting from turning into a coffee klatch, I recommend timing your meeting. This will serve three purposes. First, it respects the schedule of the other person. Second, when a meeting goes well, it gives you a great reason to get together again to fill in details and see how you can either help grow their business, or help them solve their business' pain. Third, it allows you to have another in-person touch point. When it comes to networking and people's memories, it's much better to see someone multiple times than it is to see them for one long meeting.3. Invite your "A" list contacts to meet with you one-on-one


Once you have your contacts sorted, it's time for you take the initiative to set a meeting time. Along with finding a date and time to meet, be sure that your meeting partner gets a confirmation e-mail with the details, the planned duration of your meeting, and a copy of your agenda. This will help them to prepare their information for you so that you can get down to business.4. Have some coffee (or tea, or smoothie) This is where the fun continues. I've found that a quiet coffee shop or restaurant between the breakfast and lunch rushes works best. Since you're there to talk about your business or career ideas and goals, your location choice should be relatively quiet. The location you choose should be easy to locate for both of you. You'll also want to have tables that provide enough room for your beverages, as well as having space for note taking.5. Sort/refine your contacts againAs you go through this process, you'll find that your goals and interests match better with some people more than others. That means your meetings are producing the results you're looking for.For those that have similar goals and interests, you'll schedule times in the future to continue to build on what you've learned. For those that may not closely match your goals, move them to your list of contacts with whom you'll stay in touch. When they have special events in their lives and businesses, send them well wishes. Give them occasional updates about your progress on the projects you've discussed during your meeting.6. Stay in touchThere is no bigger failing for your networking activities than to let those that you've met fall by the wayside. This is especially true for those that took the time to meet with you one-on-one. Never forget that while they may not be an ideal match for you now, their businesses and lives will have changes that you may be able to complement. They'll also meet others that may be a better fit for you and since you've stayed in touch with them, they'll remember you when someone looks for your services and products.You'll notice that during this time, you're not to sell your product or service to your coffee mate. Few things are a bigger turn off than being sold something you don't want. Remember, the number one purpose of your meeting is to find common ground that you will build on over time.You may be asking yourself "Isn't this too rigid? Won't this turn people off?" The answer is that if you're meeting with the right people, those that understand what effective networking really involves, you will have new friends that will appreciate the structure. They'll see that you value their time. They'll see that you take your business or career seriously because of your preparation. They'll be impressed by how much information you've exchanged, and how you may be able to help each other to reach your respective goals.If you're like me, you have many contacts in other states, or other countries. You'll be happy to know that you can have a productive coffee meeting with those contacts, too, by using technology. All you need is a VoIP program like Skype, and an optional webcam and you're ready to build your network without geographical constraints. This is especially beneficial if you have long distance clients, or if you'd like to expand your business or career search to a distant area. It's also a great way to interview those you may want to collaborate with on a future product offering. For those looking for a new job or career, you can use this format to hold an information interview by modifying your script.Building business relationships are essential for those wishing to have success in our chosen careers. One of the best ways to get to know your contacts is by having an effective coffee meeting. With the right preparation, and working your plan, you'll be able to accelerate the business building process, and develop the relationships you'll need for long term success in any business pursuit.

Changing Economic Perspectives

When we live in the present we don't recognise change as it happens but when we look back years later we see a clear change has occurred. When I think of the music I listened to when I was in my teens and I compare that to the music we listen to now there is an obvious change that goes beyond evolutionary principles.Often it seems people get mixed up with what is meant by change (current) and evolution (historical). Change is something that happens to us and we see it happen. All be it not until we look back after months, years or decades and see the change that was made. Evolution is something that happens over what can be several thousand, million or indeed Billion years. The fact that we walk upright and our arms are no longer a second set of legs is a good example of evolution. Driving a vehicle to work instead of a horse is an example of change.Several decades ago the idea of a "Supermarket" wasn't even thought of let alone considered a possibility. People would simply go to the corner store and purchase their goods. If it wasn't in stock it would be ordered. Anything from farm machinery to a bag of sugar.Using the same example as above, change can again be seen happening now as more and more people are opting to order their groceries and household items online and have it delivered to their door. While Supermarkets still exist and will do for some time, the path to online ordering has begun. In fact it is well in to its tenth year in the mainstream. In Australia this can be seen with the leading players in the Supermarket duopoly Coles and Woolworths each offering home delivery services with online ordering.


Not surprisingly this concept of buying supermarket items and having them delivered to your door began with the Network Marketing Industry with companies like Amway laying the path for the future of home delivered household consumables.When economic crisis hits, industries begin to fail, people who had been employed in the same industry for many years all of a sudden find themselves out of work and often unemployable. One of the biggest reasons for this is failing to follow trends when they present themselves.Network Marketing has moved through several changes since it began in the early 1900's. It was initially simply a business model for distribution, then the Nutrition Industry started attracting attention and Network Marketing became the ideal distribution model. It was a consumable product, light weight for cheap postage, it attracted the Baby boomer demographic which was the largest single target market group of the Network Marketing Opportunity. And now the Network Marketing Industry is beginning to focus on the Home Shopping sector with renewed focus on health, organics and home based business.Suffice to say it is important to recognise new industry trends - preferably chasing them from the nose rather than the tail, be prepared to accept change and move on to new ways of doing things and don't be afraid to let goof the old in favour of the new.Network Marketing as a business system is still here while many other businesses and distribution models have collapsed and it is going to be here for many years to come.Its time to jump on board.

How Business Networking Can Help Launch Your Small Business From the Ground Up

What is key in any business success story is an adequate networking plan--a plan that can help launch your small business from the ground up.Generally, it is hard for a new business to become noticed, and even harder to gain your first few clients without any success stories to back up your claims. Your formal marketing plan should therefore project the right networking mix. The right networking mix is about being proactive-in a sense that you leverage your business and personal connections to bring you regular supply of new customers. The whole idea about business networking involves relationship building-and it must be strategic and focused on networking for business growth.Professional Network ServicesWith business networking, you step up to the challenge to find avenues of opportunity that you may have otherwise never discovered. You really do not want to start your business to fail due to the decisions that you the owner makes. In other words, for your enterprise to grow, you have to be prepared to work hard, make decisions, and spend money where it matters. For instance, you may consider using a few prominent networking organizations who have successfully created models of business networking activity. A few notable examples of professional network services include LinkedIn, Viadeo, XING, and WiseStep. Using these professional network services can, in fact, be most effective in terms of generating business opportunities than advertising or public relations efforts.Online business networking can also be a cost effective method of launching your small business. Businesses are today increasingly using social networks as a means of growing their circle of contacts and promoting themselves and their business online. And with the global expansion of businesses, social networks make it easier to keep in touch with other business contacts around the world.Small Business AwardsFurther, face-to-face networking through referral business clubs also have the potential for higher quality business relationships. There are also a vast majority of awards given to businesses locally, countrywide, and globally. The different type of these awards, such as, but not limited to, small business awards, innovation awards, new business awards, local and entrepreneurial awards, are a great way to project your business accomplishments to a wide range of community of prospects. For instance, for more than 50 years, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America's small businesses for their contribution in their local communities and to the nation's economy. The range of National Small Business Week award categories include:


· Small Business Person of the Year Award· Small Business Exports of the Year Award· Small Business Development Centre Excellence and Innovation Award· Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award· Women's Business Center of Excellence AwardThe US Chamber of Commerce also hosts the Dream Big Small Business of the Year Awards Program sponsored by Sam's Club. The other National Small Business Awards you can win cash for, gain national recognition and valuable networking opportunities include:· The SCORE Awards· The American Business Awards· Inc. 500/5000 Awards· Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Women Awards· Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award· The Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust· The SVN Innovation AwardsApplying for some of these awards is crucial when it comes to recognition. Research is vital when trying to find awards you fit into. Researching far ahead of time and making a list is probably the best way to enter into as many awards as possible. Even though some awards have fees, enter any way, because the reward for your business would be huge. And when you get any awards, you get to put the award on your website and social sites as show of early accomplishments.

The Zen of Networking: 10 Rules to Follow

Whenever you think of someone who's a "consummate networker", you conjure up an image of a person who has a busy social calendar, someone who's popular at cocktail functions and knows how to work a room.That might be one definition of good networker. Another definition is someone who is a "go-to person" whenever you need an important contact (whether it be the name of a doctor or accountant, or the name of a key player in your industry). They may not seem to be the most popular person at a cocktail function, and may even appear low-key and subdue, but they have an extensive list of solid social and business contacts built up over decades of interactions, referrals, and business exchanges.I emphasized two phrases: solid contacts and decades. By "solid contacts", I mean relationships with people who know you are, and know your reputation. They are people who might give (or accept) a referral, supply you with a contact, or accept an invitation for lunch or coffee.I use the word "decades" because building up a network of meaningful contacts takes years. It doesn't happen overnight, and it certainly doesn't happen because you went to a business reception and managed to collect 20 business cards.We network because we don't work and live in a silo. Due to human nature, we tend to trust doing business with people we know or who are referred to us. People often think of the need to network whenever their jobs are in jeopardy, or whenever they're in search of new business. You hear them say, "I need to go out and start networking!"But as mentioned above, building up a good network doesn't happen overnight. Business professionals need a better understanding about what networking is, and isn't. Here are 10 rules worth remembering:Networking Isn't:1. A "one-off" activity, or something that you can "switch on" whenever you need new customers or job contacts. It's something that you do on a continuous basis. It's a mindset, a holistic way of thinking about people and relationships. (See Rule 6 below.)2. About creating a huge number contacts over a short time period. It's about developing quality relationships over the span of your career. Take the time to find out more about the people in your business or social circle. If you think that two people in your circle might benefit from knowing one another, don't hesitate to make introductions. That's what a "good networker" does, and people will remember you for it.3. About attending business functions simply to find new customers or pitch for new business. This is the wrong approach. People don't like being "sold to" at cocktail receptions, even if those events are industry-related.4. A one-way street, where the sole purpose is for you to capitalize on your contacts. You might hear a person telling a networking success story about how he got his new job through a contact he knew. What you don't hear is that this person was either incredibly lucky, or relied on a contact whose relationship took years to cultivate. For networking to work, you must give, which means giving referrals, making introductions, and supplying helpful contacts to acquaintances.


5. About relying solely on social media. Facebook and LinkedIn make it easy to build up contacts, but this isn't the same as meeting someone in person. You need to be seen and heard, and you need to create an impression. Yes, social media has its uses − such as helping you stay in contact with friends and associates − but for you to build a relationship, it starts with meeting people in the flesh.Networking Is:6. About taking a keen interest in people and what they do. Some say that in a social setting, people don't want to talk about work. Nonsense. Why should talking about work be limited to just industry cocktail functions? People like to talk about themselves and, generally, the work they do. Try to make connections on a personal and professional level.7. About carrying business cards everywhere you go. I can't remember the number of times that people forget to carry their business cards when I ask for them for one. In Asia, people always carry their business cards, and aren't shy about handing them to new acquaintances. In Hong Kong, where I worked for 13 years, people understand that networking doesn't just happen at cocktail functions, it happens everywhere you go.8. About joining an organization, association or committee outside of work, where the mandate, activity and people interest you. Your aim should be to seek enjoyment and fulfillment from your participation. Contacts will come naturally, if you practice Rules 6 and 7.9. About attending a business reception or cocktail event at least once a month. There are some who aren't crazy about attending networking functions. They might be put off by crowds, or feel hesitant talking to strangers. But it still gives you a chance to get out of the office, and meet people whom you otherwise wouldn't talk to in your normal course of business. If you make it an objective to meet at least one or two interesting people, and limit yourself to staying an hour, then you might find yourself enjoying these events. If there's an open bar, even better!10. About staying in touch. If someone has made an impression on you, drop her an email to say "Hello". This helps solidifies your bond, and even if you don't meet up again for the foreseeable future, your email will help her remember you. Every so often, reach out to acquaintances who normally aren't part of your "inner circle," and go out for lunch or coffee. Maintain your presence out there, no matter how busy you might be.Building up a strong network is really a life-long pursuit and work-in-progress. A strong network is a reflection of your reputation and what you mean to others in your social and professional circle. The more you nurture and grow those relationships, the stronger your network.See you at the next business chamber cocktail!Resume Services Vancouver

Why Your Company Needs CDN Services

What is a Content Delivery Network?Traditionally, web objects are hosted in a single location forcing visitors who reside at great distances to wait for packets to load while they move across the Internet. Greater distance equals slower communication and higher chances of losing data. Content delivery network (CDN) is an interconnected system of computers on the Internet that provides Web content rapidly by duplicating it on multiple servers and directing the content to users based on proximity. Users experience optimal website load speed, regardless of time, day, and location. There is no delay or time-out.How it WorksContent is delivered to the CDN servers in different parts of the Internet and then determines which server to send content to the user. Various special algorithms were developed to determine server response based on the task - to minimize network traffic (selecting the closest server), minimizing the cost (server selection, standing in a cheap hosting), minimizing the time (the selection of the most powerful servers). Optimization algorithms are complex and varied.CDN providers come in different sizes - some work for smaller clients and their regional audience, for example, only one small country, others are guided by the distribution of content to major global broadcasters and have their servers in almost all countries of the world.Three Types of Content Distribution for VideosCDN services most often are used when dealing with three types of content distribution:1. Downloading - downloading large files, such as software distribution. CDN in this case is used to secure access to the service and to promote a fast download from http or https. Additional requirements may be for example, the ability to resume if the connection is lost, or download huge chunks of files.2. Progressive Downloading - this happens when a file is not only swinging on the user's computer, but starts playing almost immediately after a little buffering. The user does not have to wait for the file to load to start watching, so this format is widely used for feeds. For example, companies post the video on their sites or large text that a site visitor can immediately begin viewing.3. Streaming - the file is not stored on the user's computer with the exception of a small buffer that compensates for the uneven IP- packets. CDN must provide uninterrupted delivery of packages to adjust to the speed of the channel to the client. If the video broadcast in not in real time, CDN allows users to quickly and seamlessly begin viewing (listening) from different points of the file.CDN and Online Shopping


The effectiveness of the use of content delivery networks for online shopping increases the speed of loading pages and increases the number of buyers.Aberdeen Group study found that a 1-second delay in page load decreases the conversion of 7%, the number of page views - by 11 %, and customer loyalty - 16%. The company Amazon.com, Inc. conducted similar studies in 2007 and found that with each additional delay of 100ms, a company's website was losing 1% of sales. It is obvious that the higher the speed of loading pages that feature products from the online store, the more satisfied the customer.The decision to speed up the online store involves caching static content (pictures of goods, services, advertising). Additional stores may be interested in sending traffic via HTTPS, especially in the later stages of the purchase when it is necessary to ensure secure transmission of data for the registered user.However, online stores are a complex service as there are pages that are not cached (for example, the payment page). To accelerate their usage, special solutions, such as Application Acceleration is needed, hence clients need to shop around for a hosting provider that includes ADN service within their CDN.CDN and Slow Website SpeedOnline audiences expect a fast website experience. 47% of consumers expect a webpage to load in 2 seconds or less; 40% of which abandon the site if it takes longer than 3 seconds. Many brush off CDN services thinking that their website does not need it, but beware - slow websites, no matter how beautiful they may be, discourage users from further browsing.What causes slow website response time?1. Online Content is Increasing in Size
Media files, applications, software are growing in quality and complexity. Delivering large files on the Internet puts great pressure on your website's organizational infrastructure. Inadequate server volume, storage space, and bandwidth causes your site's performance and user experience to suffer greatly.2. Large Website Libraries = Traffic Jams
As websites grow with the new addition of quality audio, video, and text files, more visitors are driven to view recent content resulting in traffic jams that noticeably slow down the network. If one website's heavy data blocks streets in the network's infrastructure, it has a domino effect on the rest of the network.3. Online Access Through Mobile Devices
Global users are now accessing online content from a variety of devices, even if you have adequate capacity, upload/download issues and internet congestion can result in page abandonment.

5 Marketing Tips For Your Local Area

With the increased national presence of many brands, it is even more important now than ever to use your local resources to reach out to and grab local sales. This is even true if you have an online presence because unless you're Amazon or eBay, you'll likely make the majority of your sales through your retail location. And what better of a way to reach local customers than by networking and using your neighbors to help you do so?1. Who are the local businesses that are the busiest? They don't have to be big retail chains. They can be franchised businesses and smaller mom and pop shops around you.
Reach out to these local businesses and give their employees a great offer
Create an enticing flyer to put into the businesses' break room for their employees to see (and pick up)
Create a secondary flyer and ask to put it in the front of their store for customers to pick up
Find out if there is a way you can cross-promote with the business to create marketing and advertising that benefits both of your companies (at half the price... or less!)
2. Build relationships with these businesses. Don't just drop in and hand them some flyers.
Take the owner of the other businesses out to lunch to discuss marketing and advertising opportunities
Find out what they are doing right to bring customers into the store
Share best-practices with each other
Visit with them on a regular basis - make it a normal part of your business day



3. Setup a table within their business occasionally (and allow them to do so in your business, if appropriate).
Hand out flyer, coupons, or small novelties to your potential customers
Reach a customer base you wouldn't normally reach
If appropriate, bring your product or service to sell to customers on the spot
4. Reach out to local community colleges, apartment complexes, community centers, and HOA's to promote your business.
Create a coupon, discount, or promotion specifically for that group or community
Set up a table in their place of business to promote your business and the promotion to that group of customers
Hand out flyers, coupons, or small novelties to your potential customers
5. Dress and act appropriately - I know that most of you will do this, but it's just a reminder for those who may have forgotten.
Dress for success - slacks, shirts with your company logo, dress shoes, dress shirt and tie when appropriate - let them know you mean business
Be organized with your documents and who you are meeting with
Take notes so you can remember what you spoke about with the owner in future conversations
Always have business cards with you to hand out
Build relationships that will benefit you and the other businesses, always be ready to network your business, and always look for ways to increase your sales.