Skip to main content

Building a Solid Foundation

If you sit down with nearly any preschooler, they can probably tell you the story of the three little pigs. According to the story, there once were three pigs. Each set out to build themselves a home. The first built his home out of straw. He was done very quickly because of the material he chose. The second little pig chose to build his home out of sticks. Building with sticks might have taken the pig a little longer than using straw, but he was still done rather quickly. The third pig, however, built his home out of bricks and mortar. This house took the longest time to build, and the pig was forced to keep working, even when the other pigs were already relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Not long after the three pigs had finished their homes, the big bad wolf came looking for something to eat. He was able to quickly blow over the houses made of sticks and straw, but no matter how hard he tried, he was not able to blow over the house of bricks.

Building a Solid Foundation

The third little pig didn't take the easy way out. He saw the other two pigs finishing faster than him and having the time to laugh and play, but when the chips were down, his house was the only one to stand up. The solid foundation made all the difference.

In life, as in business, it's tempting to take the easy way out; to use the easier material that takes significantly less time. The problem comes when we discover just how quickly a weak foundation can fail us. Those who are looking to grow their businesses must keep this idea in mind.

Growing a business the smart way

There are a variety of 'tricks' companies can use to try to grow their businesses quickly. So-called 'black hat SEO,' which refers to techniques such as artificial keyword stuffing and using link farms to grow backlinks, may help companies achieve their objective rather quickly. They may rise quickly in the Google search engine ranks and see the number of visitors to their site rise as well. But Google has been cracking down on sites that use artificial SEO. Some companies have found their sites severely penalized, which has deeply hurt their businesses.

In marketing, companies may be tempted to blast every known platform all at once, without taking the time to develop a company message and brand. In these cases, the effects of the campaign typically fall short. A group that tries to go nationwide with a campaign too quickly might find that the effort exhausts their resources, placing the entire company in jeopardy. Starting local and growing as a reputation spreads is the way to achieve success.

Growing a business correctly means taking the time to grow organically. It means working to develop a quality website that is naturally optimized through a quality blog and well-written content. Marketing campaigns and customer reach goals should be built on a solid foundation that leaves room to grow. We can help customers develop marketing plans to appropriately meet new customers.

There's no easy way to be successful. It requires perseverance and hard work. Like the little pigs discovered, however, there's also no replacement for doing things right the first time. Instead of looking for shortcuts, invest time in learning about techniques to maximize investments and tools for saving time. We can help. Building a solid business foundation means your company will have something to grow on, rather than a flimsy foundation that can blow over. And that's irreplaceable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Print Coupons Are Valuable Tool for Driving Business

With the advent of the Internet and mobile technology, it may seem that print advertising has gone by the wayside. However, that is simply not true. In fact, there are still many legitimate, valuable uses for print advertising. One of those opportunities is coupons. We see coupons in grocery stores constantly. Every Sunday paper has coupons that give customers incentive to try new products or new versions of older products. Why is that? Simply put, coupons work. So how can you use coupons effectively if you're not running a grocery store? Here are some ideas to consider: Return Business Coupons are one of the best ways to obtain return business. For example, consider creating a "Buy 10, Get 1 Free" card. This type of coupon works well for businesses that sell multiples of the same type of product. Examples might include "Buy 10 earrings, Get 1 Free" or "Buy 10 ink cartridges, Get 1 Free." Another option is to offer a coupon to every...
Post a Comment
Read more

Designing Direct Mail That Sells

  If it sells, it is creative. This, in essence, is the first rule of direct mail design, according to legendary designer and author, David Ogilvy. But what sells? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing your next direct mail marketing piece: The basics are in your mailbox. When you need inspiration, just go to your own personal direct mail idea vault... your mailbox! You probably receive tons of good direct mail each year. Set aside packages that catch your eye. The companies mailing these have spent thousands of dollars researching the best methods. Why not learn from their research? Always try to beat your previous response rate. Play around with the design before sending the mailing out again. See if minor changes make a significant difference in the response rate. Send out different versions of your design to similar groups in your database, and test to see which one results in the most responses. Whatever you do, test it, and then test it again! Use words that...
Post a Comment
Read more

Boost Your Marketing With Postcards

You probably get at least a few postcards in your mail every day. Have you noticed that you always look at the front and usually flip them over, too? Postcards are incredibly hard to resist because there's something compelling about that small, stiff card stock. Postcards are experiencing a revival as business owners and marketers are rediscovering the powerful impact postcards can deliver. What's so great about postcards? Postcards have several advantages over many other marketing channels. Postcards are less expensive to print. They don't require envelopes or other inserts. Postcards provide an instant visual connection with the recipient. The limited space for copy and graphics forces you to get to the point quickly. Recipients don't set them aside to read later, leading to instant reaction. Postage is often lower than with other forms of direct mail. Postcards are great for personalization (with variable data printing - VDP). Postcards work very ...
Post a Comment
Read more