Free B2B Content Marketing Workbook Published by Velocity

Velocity, the B2B marketing agency specialising in technology companies, today announced the publication of a free 49-page eBook called The B2B Content Marketing Workbook.

The eBook is available to download now from the Velocity website: www.velocitypartners.co.uk.

“In the era of information overload, Content Marketing is probably the single most important thing a B2B marketer can do,” says Stan Woods, Velocity MD, ” You can have lousy brochures. You can be a social media luddite. But if you get content marketing right, the world will beat a path to your door — and your sales guys will throw rose petals in your path (it’s embarrassing but feels kind of nice, too.).”

The Content Marketing Workbook covers topics like these:

* What Content Marketing and Thought Leadership are

* Why you need to get good at them (and fast)

* Why you’re perfectly placed to do it really, really well

* How to pick a topic prospects care about

* How to go beyond the dry, stale white paper

* What we think ‘good’ looks like — lots of examples

It’s free, it’s fun and it’s as fresh as new-baked bread plucked from a hot oven.

“This is the single best overview I’ve yet seen on strategic B2B content marketing”, says David Fideler, B2B marketing strategist and founder of the B2B Lead Nurturing group on Linked In, ” I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by the ideas and value delivered.”

Source: http://www.pr.com

IT'S YOUR BUSINESS: Business news releases Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Have you purchased your ticket to the 15th annual Business to Business Expo on Thursday, June 11? If you are looking for any kind of service or product or just want to be more involved in the community the Expo is the event to attend. It goes from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Three Oaks Banquiet Center in Estero.

Tickets to attend are $15 in advance per person and $20 at the door.

Advance registration ends tonight at midnight.

For reservations, visit bonitaspringschamber.com or call the chamber at 992-2943.

- Contributed by Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce

Source: http://www.marconews.com/

B2B Publishing Industry Luminary and Bizo Advisor Bill Furlong Joins Company to Run Business Development and Partnership Strategy

June 10, 2009 -- Bizo, Inc. the leading B2B audience targeting platform and advertising network, announced today that advisor Bill Furlong, the president and founder of SearchChannel and B2BWorks, and former managing director of Crain's BtoB Magazine, has joined the company full time as its VP of business development to build out Bizo's partnership strategies and focus on forging successful B2B industry partnerships.

Furlong has served on the IAB board of directors for two terms and founded and led B2BWorks, the first major B2B online advertising network. He is a frequent speaker at the Business Marketing Association, Direct Marketers Association and American Business Media, where he is a member of the Digital Media Council. Furlong has also been named to BtoB's Who's Who and Crain's Chicago Top Internet 100 list.

"I joined Bizo as an advisor four months ago, and after spending time with the company, I realized that this opportunity is just too exciting to stay on the sidelines as an advisor," said Furlong, "I care deeply about ensuring that B2B publishers and marketers are effective in their transition to digital and Bizo's approach to market gives them an unprecedented opportunity to monetize their online audiences."

"Bill is a triple-rare combination in the B2B information industry," said Chuck Richard, VP and Lead Analyst, Outsell Inc., a leading analyst firm for the information publishing industry. "One, he is locked in on an unwavering vision of where marketing is headed. Two, he brings sleeves-rolled-up, hands-on entrepreneurial experience running companies. And three, Bill has decades-strong roots in the traditions, realities and peculiarities of the industry."

"Bill joining Bizo to run business development gives us a superstar to ensure successful partnerships," said Russell Glass, CEO and founder of Bizo, "He is an industry leader and recognized expert in B2B digital media - having him help us guide Bizo to long-term success is a huge win for us, our customers and our partners. "

Furlong will remain the chairman of the board of directors of Search Channel.

In a separate release today, Bizo released a number of its growth and customer metrics including its B2B publisher earnings average of $3.65 CPM, more than 100% above the industry average.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/

Online marketing takes slight dip in first quarter

Although all industries have suffered during the recession, a new report finds that the online advertising market saw only a slight decline in the first quarter of this year.

According to the report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), online advertising revenues reached $5.5 billion during the first quarter of 2009 - a 5 percent drop from the same period in 2008.

Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of IAB, says that because online marketing has become a line item for many companies it is susceptible to market conditions, but he expects the industry to rebound throughout 2009 as people continue to spend more time online.

"For this, and other reasons, interactive media continues to gain share of marketing spend. We're confident that growth will resume as the U.S. economic climate improves," he said. "Interactive advertising is the most accountable way to reach consumers - and in this economy, digital media will be a core component of any successful marketing campaign."

A joint study last month from MarketingProfs and Forrester Research shows good signs for the business-to-business online marketing community. According to the report, 47 percent of b2b companies said they plan on increasing spending on search engine marketing this year.

Source: http://www.komarketingassociates.com

New LifeShirt to address data & usability gaps in RPM market

VivoMetrics Inc, a leading innovator in remote patient monitoring (RPM), announced the first complete prototype of their next generation LifeShirt for the remote monitoring of patients' vital signs by healthcare professionals. The new LifeShirt has significant advantages over currently available monitoring technologies, dramatically simplifying the way in which key vital sign data is collected and transmitted to remote care providers. The system also provides a more complete understanding of patient health status by continuously collecting and fusing multiple vital signs into a validated, actionable health index--helping transform healthcare through the practical realization of telemedicine.

The next generation LifeShirt incorporates cutting-edge sensor technology and wireless data transmission into a lightweight, comfortable "smart garment" that eliminates the need for patients to operate multiple, discrete monitoring devices at specific times or to manually transmit vital sign data to those remotely managing their care. The system will passively and continuously collect electrocardiogram (ECG), respiratory, and temperature data in context with posture and activity levels and automatically transmit that data via cellular networks or Bluetooth to their healthcare providers.

VivoMetrics' new LifeShirt will nearly eliminate patient involvement in their own vital sign monitoring, requiring the user to simply wear the garment.

Numerous studies confirm the potential of RPM initiatives to improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases and reduce the net cost of their care. It is estimated that savings resulting from RPM will reach $200 billion over the next 25 years in the United States alone. However, an April 2009 report by Datamonitor notes that available telehealth technology will need to improve in terms of reliability and ease-of-use in order for adoption to increase.

VivoMetrics' intent is to address these needs with the next generation LifeShirt and help make the full promise of RPM a reality.

"VivoMetrics has been a true innovator in remote monitoring technologies," says Kent Tonkin, assistant director of information technology at St. Francis University's Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-served Areas (CERMUSA), a federally funded program that has begun a partnership with VivoMetrics and is dedicated to improving access to healthcare. "Solutions like LifeShirt can help us reach our goals of providing better lives and lower healthcare costs for our neighbors."

In addition to simplifying how vital sign data is collected, VivoMetrics also intends to transform how healthcare professionals can utilize this data in caring for their remote patients. In partnership with OBS Medical (Carmel, IN), VivoMetrics is adapting hospital-proven decision-assist software to fuse data from multiple vital signs into a single index of health status that will provide actionable insights into a patient's wellbeing and enable caregivers to proactively intervene in their care.

"The challenge for us is quite clear. If patients and providers aren't completely comfortable with monitoring technology, they won't use it," says Howard R. Baker, VivoMetrics' president and chief executive officer. "The key to strong adoption and sustainability in the RPM space will be highly dependent on both patient and provider compliance. It's exciting for us to be able to draw upon over 10 years of experience acquiring quality data in a vast array of ambulatory environments. We're creating solutions that address the enormous cost of caring for a population that is growing older and experiencing increasing rates of chronic illness."

The first integrated prototypes of the new LifeShirt have been assembled and tested, and VivoMetrics expects to begin collecting clinical data later this year.

Source: http://www.fibre2fashion.com

Faction Media Selected As 'Best of the Best' for B2B Cross-Media Marketing Campaign

DENVER, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Faction Media, a full-service digitally led marketing agency based in Denver, has been recognized by the marketing community at the XMPie Users Conference in Las Vegas. Faction's work for tw telecom was the winner of the 2009 Best of the Best Award -- the integrated, cross-media campaign was hailed for its creativity and unique approach in leveraging emerging technologies and driving campaign results.

"We wanted to do something that had never been done before. With the explosion of emerging technologies and channels available, there are so many possibilities to be unique, creative and more relevant than ever before. We built a campaign that took advantage of paid search, e-mail, variable direct mail, dynamically generated video and database driven Web content to tell the tw telecom story," said Aaron Batte, Founder and Director of Account Services at Faction.

The campaign was targeted at key telecommunications and IT decision-makers with the goal of generating qualified high-value leads, increasing overall revenue, gaining market share, and raising brand awareness. The strategy called for a highly personalized conversational experience for each prospect. Each individual was encouraged to use the Web's many facets including e-mail, search engine interaction, Web browsing, dynamic streaming video, to reflect how a high-speed network connection from tw telecom can change the way they do business.

"At the heart of this campaign's success was our ability to engage the audience in a unique and surprisingly entertaining way, enhancing their experience through multiple points of personalization," added Dave Greves, Founder and Account Strategist.

The annual XMPie Best of the Best Award recognizes marketing campaigns that, using the XMPie technology, have significantly impacted overall business effectiveness, leveraged measurement of response metrics, utilized best practices of data integration and presented overall creative excellence. XMPie is a software business unit of Xerox(R) Corporation.

Faction Media

Faction Media is a full-service digitally led communications agency that helps clients compete, evolve and grow in an increasingly complex and fragmented marketplace. Faction provides digital strategy, audience insight, creative services, interactive development, search marketing, performance analytics and marketing optimization to Fortune 1000 companies including some of the largest and most innovative businesses in the World.

Faction Media's Unified Marketing(TM) approach combines new and evolving interactive tools with traditional channels to identify, build and execute the most effective and successful brand and demand generation campaigns. A commitment to performance accountability, technology, and creative innovation has defined Faction Media's place as a leader in Business-to-Business communications and marketing.

Source: http://news.prnewswire.com

A new B2B Marketplace – revolutionary approach towards outsourcing

www.dataentryprojects.net - an OUTSOURCING portal that made a new wave online in B2B marketplace. It adopts a revolutionary and transparent approach towards outsourcing.

Ahmedabad, IN - June, 6 2009 - A new transparent B2B marketplace – http://www.dataentryprojects.net is making waves amongst outsourcing industry across the globe with its revolutionary approach towards outsourcing. It adopts very transparent approach to help outsourcing service buyers and providers.

It covers the entire spectrum of data entry and back office tasks which is a perfect fit to be outsourced viz. data entry, administrative support, data processing, data conversion, word processing, web research, typing services, claim processing, scanning and indexing, mailing list development and much more.

“It has attracted thousands of visitors in precedent two days” said CEO. Many businesses are preferring www.dataentryprojects.net for their back office outsourcing over many other project portals. Experts envisage that it will be “next Google of outsourcing”.

The portal works in an awfully easy manner:

Service Buyers - How It Works?

• E-mail your project description/requirements on projects@dataentryprojects.net or post it on site FREE.

• An editorial team will put your project on DataEntryProjects.

• Project alert email will be sent to all registered providers.

• Services providers searching for the projects will examine your project's details.

• If any provider is interested in undertaking your project, then he will contact you directly.

Service Buyers - Benefits

• Service is absolutely FREE. NO Middleman, NO Fees, NO Commission.

• No need to search for freelance service providers or companies. There are hundreds of services providers visiting the website daily.

• Your project being considered by a variety of skilled service providers locally, nationally, and globally.

• Choice to select your preferred provider based on capability, costs and talent.

• All service providers are pre-screened, so only authentically skilled service providers will get in touch with you.

• No obligation on your part to award the project.

Service Providers - How it Works?

• Register/Sign up on website http://www.dataentryprojects.net absolutely FREE.

• Search projects from the categories you prefer.

• Purchase contact details of the outsourcing services buyers associated with projects.

• Get connected to unlimited outsourcing services buyers.

Service Providers - Benefits

• Absolutely FREE registration.

• Free listing of company / freelancer profile.

• Providing verified leads.

• Save time and resources in finding buyers.

• Cut down marketing overheads.

• Build international clientele. Get projects locally, nationally and globally.

The portal also introduces various membership plans that suit every freelancers / companies’ budget and need.

The portal is muck talked in the outsourcing industry and many businesses sees it as a one stop solution for their back office outsourcing which saves valuable time wasted in bidding process.

Source: http://ecommwire.com/

TAITRA Features Recession Beating Global B2B Tools on Taiwantrade

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) features recession beating B2B tools on Taiwantrade. Designed to meet the rapidly changing requirements of global trading during challenging times, Taiwantrade provides instant access to B2B commerce tools to international small and medium enterprises who are members. Taiwantrade is going to launch a promotion to offer free memberships and elite bonus to all worldwide suppliers and buyers next week.

Essential tools include an electronic bulletin board showcases numerous buy and sell business opportunities posted by Taiwantrade members from around the world, and alerts for new products, biz exchange trade leads, new suppliers, special offers, and trade-related news. Taiwantrade also provides an extensive business and trade database. A personalized homepage will highlight exactly the information that was specified while signing up as a member.

Taiwanese companies play a major global role in supplying the world’s requirements in sectors such as electronics, communications, computers, auto parts, and motorcycles. Associations representing these industries work closely with Taiwantrade to enable global buyers and suppliers to obtain the latest information on products and manufacturing services offered by these Taiwanese enterprises.

In 2008, TAITRA organized 28 international trade shows, provided services to 10,072 local and foreign exhibitors. TAITRA updated a domestic suppliers' database that features more than 240,000 companies, and established a foreign buyers' database that includes more than 1.12 million companies. TAITRA provided enterprise-portal services over 30,000 companies, compiled 240,000 pieces of new electronic product catalogs, initiated 706,600 trade leads, and racked up 7,668,176 visits to the Taiwantrade and TAITRA websites. TAITRA also sponsored 68 promotional seminars concerning eMarketing, increased foreign company members by 27,364, and organized 23 international online trade shows. Plus, TAITRA arranged 915 purchasing tours for foreign buyers to come to Taiwan.

Mr. Yuen-Chuan Chao, the President and CEO of TAITRA stated that “The e-Procurement Site service of Taiwantrade helped foreign buyers and sellers create 54 global business transactions in 2008, of which value reached up to US$800 million. We are redoubling our efforts in 2009 to overcome the challenges of the difficult times. Taiwantrade is a major component in our strategies.”

With the B2B commerce tools on Taiwantrade, it has never been easier for worldwide buyers and sellers to locate online vital global trade information that exponentially increases business opportunities.

About Taiwantrade

Taiwantrade is an interactive e-business portal designed to provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with immediate access to B2B e-commerce activities, and to help them gain a digital edge over their competitors worldwide. Backed by a wealth of trade promotion resources and strong support from different trade and industry associations, e-marketplaces, and popular trade websites, Taiwantrade offers the utmost online trade and promotion services. Taiwantrade is sponsored by the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and administered by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.

Source: http://www.businesswire.com/

B2b Market Place for Wooden Handicrafts Launch of The Largest Online Hub for Wooden

Wooden Handicrafts, the B2b marketplace dedicated specifically to the handicrafts industry contains comprehensive information about the various ranges of wooden handicrafts available throughout the world. Browse through the website (http://www.wooden-handicrafts.com/) to get complete information on the suppliers, manufacturers and dealers of wooden manufacturers across the globe.

This is the one stop platform for all those who are looking for detailed knowledge of the various handicrafts associations along with wood crafts trade leads and wood craft publications. Some of the core areas of competencies include antique wood crafts, garden decoratives, wooden corporate gifts, wooden furniture, wooden kitchen accessories, wooden shutters and wooden toys and games.

Also find general information on the handicrafts with special emphasis on the industrial resources and industry overview with an insight on the various factors affecting the market growth of wooden handicrafts. The manufacturing regions, export import policies and production process has also been discussed at length. Here one can also find vivid collection of wood carvings, wood crafts and wood finishes.

The provision for receiving free quotes for wooden handicrafts also makes this B2B marketplace very palpable. You not only are capable to post buying or sourcing requirements for free but can also get multiple quotes directly from authentic wooden handicrafts manufacturers and suppliers. One can also send free request regarding the buying requirement along with other details to get responses from genuine globals sellers or suppliers, for free. Helpful tips related to the wooden handicrafts industry is also disseminated on a regular basis.

Exclusive range of wooden candle holders, wooden letters, wooden name plates, wooden bowls, wooden scoops and wooden planters along with their images, highlights and possible usage, have also been displayed on the website.

Source: http://www.enewswire.co.uk/

B2B marketplace tool targeted at SMEs

BANGALORE, INDIA: MyTradeBook.com has announced the launch of a free Web-based B2B marketplace tool that allows businesses to build networks, engage in interest groups, buy, sell and advertise products and services, recruit human resources and partner with organizations related to their business ecosystem.

The tool will be initially launched in India and United Kingdom followed by other English speaking countries.

Given the current economic scenario, this tool which is targeted at the small and medium enterprises (SME) segment offers Indian businesses a free online platform that helps create new markets and reach out to potential global customers.

Announcing the launch, Richard Tunstall, managing director, MyTradeBook.com said: "There are many SMBs that have products and services with global appeal, but are constrained with limited marketing budgets, which becomes even more pronounced in the current economic scenario. MyTradeBook.com is designed to cut through the clutter of the existing B2B marketplaces by offering users with effective ways to reach out, collaborate and showcase their products and services in a much more targeted fashion. What's more important is that they can do it for free."

Amalgamating the concepts of business networking and B2B marketplace, this unique tool allows users to join as well as create interest groups. This facilitates collaboration and discussion between users on their areas of interest opening up avenues for generation of new ideas and business leads.

Users can also advertise their products and services for free in the Trade Pages of the tool and these posted advertisements can be linked to various interest groups and can be viewed by other members offering users with an opportunity to target their ads at the most relevant people.

Apart from offering users with the ability to search Trade Page ads, crucially MyTradeBook.com, also allows users to share Trade Page posts with other social networking sites, creating viral marketing opportunities. Presents unique blend of B2B marketplace and social networking concepts.

Source: http://www.ciol.com/

Bharti-Del Monte JV launches wide range of F&B products in India, to invest Rs.100 crore in new processing unit

New Delhi - India's Bharti Enterprises have teamed up with Philippine-based Del Monte Pacific Ltd. to launch a wide range of Del Monte food products, including beverages, packaged fruits and ketchup.

The 50:50 joint venture - FieldFresh Foods - will invest Rs.100 crore to set up a food processing unit at Hosur in Tamil Nadu where it would produce beverages and processed food from 2010. However, packaged fruits, like pineapple, will continue to be imported from Del Monte till the Hosur unit can be expanded.

The venture will also invest in research and development (R&D) in a 300-acre company-owned land in Punjab.

"We are geared to break new ground in the food and beverage (F&B) market in India. Besides establishing a strong retail presence, we plan to leverage growth avenues in the B2B segment. I am optimistic that our plans will propel us to be one of the top two F&B companies in India by 2014," said Sanjay Nandrajog, CEO, FieldFresh Foods.

The F&B market in India holds great potential. While AT Kearney estimates the market sales of food and beverage retailing in India at $135 billion and growing at 10-15 percent annually, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has come out with a vision document that lists out a plan to double the market size of the food processing industry to Rs.8,20,000 crore by 2009-10 and trebling it to Rs.13,50,000 crore by 2014-15.

"We are delighted to bring Del Monte to India. This is a significant milestone for the company as we make our entry into the processed food and beverage segment. We will invest much more as we outline other products in future growth. Our plan to bring in significant investment to set up a modern production facility underlines our commitment to the development of the processed foods sector in India and our intent to emerge as a leading player," said Rakesh Mittal, vice chairman and managing director, Bharti Enterprises.

"India's fast expanding economy, evolving consumer needs, and the emergence of organized retail offer tremendous opportunities for growth. We want to be in top 10 (Indian processed food) companies in the next five years," he said when asked about the joint venture's growth plans. "The journey has just begun."

"We take great pride in being associated with a company like Bharti which will help us establish a strong foothold and penetration in the Indian market. Our endeavor is to provide world class products in all our markets including India and we have taken the first steps into the Indian retail market with a clear vision of capturing the consumer's imagination with our range of innovative products. Indian consumers will be able to experience international quality products, for which Del Monte is known the world over. We look forward to leveraging our skill and knowledge and also draw from the experience that Bharti has gained in creating a great business in India," said Joselite D. Campos Jr., managing director and CEO, Del Monte Pacific, which holds exclusive rights to produce and distribute food and beverage products under the Del Monte brand in the Indian sub-continent.

Initially Del Monte products would be sold in 15 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune by the end of this year and later be expanded into 25 cities across India.

The unlisted FieldFresh Foods was set up in 2004 to supply fresh fruits and vegetables and counts food retailers and supermarkets such as Easy Day, Big Bazaar, 24/7, More and Big Apple among it clients.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.in/

The Importance of Website Conversion

Many companies make the mistake of spending money in areas where it's not necessary. Take, for example, companies pumping marketing dollars into increasing traffic on the website. It's great to get more traffic, but that is just the first step. Now you need that traffic to do something.

Website Conversion Defined

The percentage of total visitors who come to the website, follow through after clicking on the company's desired point of action (POA) and submit information, download a demo, make a purchase, etc. is the definition of website conversion. In an e-commerce application, multiple visitors will add items to their shopping carts, but a smaller percentage will actually make the purchase. The percentage of visitors that completes the transaction signifies the conversion rate for the website. In a lead-generating application, multiple visitors will follow a path that you desire for them to follow (at first), but will not complete the form, download, etc. The percentage that does signifies the conversion rate.

In order to boost the website conversion rate, companies need to determine why potential customers drop out at certain points in the process and eliminate these roadblocks in order to increase sales. Clearly defined POAs, intuitive navigation, and simple checkout processes all make it easier for potential customers to buy, contact, download, or whatever else it is that you want them to do that will lead to a sale.

Point of Action

Basically, the POA on your website is what you want visitors to do initially. Many websites will have more than one POA, so POAs are further broken down into primary, secondary, and even tertiary POAs. A primary POA (usually the most profitable action for a user to take) might be completing a purchase on the site while a secondary POA might be signing up for the site's email newsletter announcing weekly specials. As a general rule, the marketing department (not the web designers) in consultation with sales should decide what the primary and secondary POAs will be.

Some websites have no clear POA and mainly serve as 'brochure-ware.' If a website doesn't have clear POAs that guide users toward taking specific, valuable actions, those users are of course less likely to become purchasers.

Take Rate

The number (or percentage) of visitors who show interest in your POA (i.e. click on a link to visit the site's contact form), comprise your take rate. Say a B2B website is highlighting its downloadable demo as its POA; a visitor might click on that link to get to a download page. Whether or not they actually follow through with the download has no bearing on the take rate - the take rate merely demonstrates that there was enough interest for them to take the POA.

On an e-commerce site, for instance, a visitor who adds a product to his shopping basket has taken the first step toward the company's desired POA, but the potential purchaser may not complete the transaction.

There are many ways to improve the take rate of a website. One of the biggest ways is to simply make it very clear to visitors, on every page of your site, what you want them to do. Whether this is to purchase, to contact, to download, to sign up, or any number of other actions, make it clear and prominent for the visitor. No matter where they are on your site when they decide they are ready to take that POA, your site should make it easy for them to do so.

Website Conversion Rate

The actual website conversion rate is the ratio equal to the number of people who actually convert on the site versus the overall number of visitors to the site for a given period. If, for example, 3 out of every 100 visitors to your B2B site filled out a contact form (and that form was your only POA) your website conversion rate would be 3%.

Obviously, improving your take rate will also improve your conversion rate, since more people will be coming to the form, download page, purchase page, etc. But there are many things you can do to increase the likelihood that people will convert after they have taken the initial POA. Keeping contact forms short and only asking for the minimal information you need is one way. Having a prominent and clear privacy policy or encryption policy can also help. The important thing to recognize is that a large number of people who demonstrate an interest in your products or services by clicking on your POA may not follow thorough, and it is important to determine why and to remove those obstacles.

Putting it Together

There are literally thousands of elements you can change on your website to increase both your take rate and website conversion rate. A/B testing has long been used to determine how changing certain variables affects the conversion and take rates. However, this method is limited to testing one variable at a time if you want to gather the granular metrics from each slight modification. Today, with more sophisticated testing software packages available, multivariate testing, which enables you to test many variables at the same time while still seeing granular results, is becoming more common. Common tests include changing color schemes, tweaking various aspects of navigation, copy, and POAs have all been proven to maximize the take rate, website conversion rate, and subsequently, your revenue and bottom line. Website conversion is all about your visitors - appeal to their needs and desires in a logical, concise way, and you'll see your rates improve.

Source: http://www.techlinks.net/

Indian Manufacturers Suppliers Exporters Directory,Buyers and Sellers,B2b Business Directory India

Sme.in opened the doors of global access for small and medium enterprises.

We are aware of the fact that every company wants to adopt latest marketing strategies to expand their business. And in today’s internet world, internet marketing strategies are the most sought after form of marketing. But the high costs linked with them makes them beyond the reach of small and medium enterprises. So after taking overview of the entire situation, sme.in was incepted in 2004. This online business directory’s primary objective was to promote the business of SMEs up to global level. This has been a joint venture of SMEBS and MIDC, Maharashtra. This portal is multi lingual, i.e. it is published in 16 international languages. The manufacturers from 177 countries are listed here. So this directory has enhanced product promotion in 177 countries with sixteen languages, which is really impressive

Today this B2B directory celebrates 5 years of its success in providing a cost effective solution for the small and medium enterprise for expanding their business in global market. It has gained a growing recognition from the very year of its launch. It has enjoyed popularity as more and more people got aware of its advanced and unique features.

So this portal has helped the SMEs to get global vicinity and generate prospective business leads from anywhere in the world. This site has actually helped in promoting the concept of globalization of the economy. This user friendly site has brought the global buyers and sellers on a single platform to interact with each other.

Source: http://www.prminds.com/pressrelease.php?id=7301

B2b Market Place for Wooden Handicrafts Launch of The Largest Online Hub for Wood

Wooden Handicrafts, the B2b marketplace dedicated specifically to the handicrafts industry contains comprehensive information about the various ranges of wooden handicrafts available throughout the world. Browse through the website (http://www.wooden-handicrafts.com/) to get complete information on the suppliers, manufacturers and dealers of wooden manufacturers across the globe.
This is the one stop platform for all those who are looking for detailed knowledge of the various handicrafts associations along with wood crafts trade leads and wood craft publications. Some of the core areas of competencies include antique wood crafts, garden decoratives, wooden corporate gifts, wooden furniture, wooden kitchen accessories, wooden shutters and wooden toys and games.
Also find general information on the handicrafts with special emphasis on the industrial resources and industry overview with an insight on the various factors affecting the market growth of wooden handicrafts. The manufacturing regions, export import policies and production process has also been discussed at length. Here one can also find vivid collection of wood carvings, wood crafts and wood finishes.
The provision for receiving free quotes for wooden handicrafts also makes this B2B marketplace very palpable. You not only are capable to post buying or sourcing requirements for free but can also get multiple quotes directly from authentic wooden handicrafts manufacturers and suppliers. One can also send free request regarding the buying requirement along with other details to get responses from genuine globals sellers or suppliers, for free. Helpful tips related to the wooden handicrafts industry is also disseminated on a regular basis.
Exclusive range of wooden candle holders, wooden letters, wooden name plates, wooden bowls, wooden scoops and wooden planters along with their images, highlights and possible usage, have also been displayed on the website.

Source: http://www.enewswire.co.uk/2009/06/04/b2b-market-place-wooden-handicrafts-launch-largest-online-hub-wooden-handicrafts/

Welcome to India — We are like that only!

When Sam Walton opened his first store all those years ago, he had the luxury of being a pioneer and could afford to experiment, make mistakes and perfect the model — without being under the public glare. However, the first store of Bharti Wal- Mart cannot afford this luxury. Apart from being in retail, it is a joint venture with a leading Indian and US corporate. Its every move will be watched and commented upon, second-guessed and debated.

A couple of thoughts came to my mind while reading about the opening of the first store.

First is the name, Best Price Modern Wholesale (BPMW). Phew! That’s quite a mouthful I wonder at the logic behind such a long name that defies most branding principles. Unless the expectation of FDI being allowed in the venture has prompted an interim name which can be changed without much impact on the consumer’s psyche. Even though this is a cash-and-carry with a dedicated B2B customer base, the name does play a role and as of now, it is purely functional and more like a statement. Maybe considerations of a future dispute over the brand name prompted this call? I can only speculate.

Next is the core of any retail enterprise – the sourcing and supply chain. India’s enormous geographical spread makes this a daunting task at best. The existing system of wholesale markets offers an easy and cost-effective alternative to direct sourcing, especially in the grocery and fresh categories. Wal-Mart already has sourcing machinery in India, but that is more for non-food merchandise. The game changer would be to establish a true farm-to-fork chain. Sounds nice on paper — easier said than done.

Grassroots-level sourcing initiatives would be a competitive advantage as long as they are done for grocery, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. If this is limited to the branded products and the non-food that is already being sourced by their global sourcing team, the stores would be just another addition to the retail landscape.

This is typically a chicken-and-egg story. Does a chain first build enough stores to amortise the cost of an elaborate sourcing and supply chain mechanism, or vice versa? The temptation to build stores first is obvious. Revenue flows in from day one. I recently read a news article about how retailers shun direct procurement. I can understand this temptation from the perspective of managing the OPEX. However, this is not what retail is all about and I have written an extensive piece about this on my blog.

I assume that the revised roll-out of stores within a shorter time frame is to leverage their efforts at a comprehensive and grassroots-level sourcing mechanism. However, the proposed $100-million investment seems to be more towards setting up stores, assuming an average set-up cost of $5 million per store. So, where is the money for backward integration?

Next is the issue of India and its peculiarities. It is a unique country and cannot be treated with a cookie-cutter approach. I remember the first hypermarket of a foreign operator that opened in Mumbai. They had an entire run of paints with various shades and pack sizes, no doubt based on their international experience with DIY customers. Did the chain have Indian managers? Of course! Were their inputs taken about Indian consuming habits? Very doubtful. Integrating international best practices with Indian peculiarities is a must-do, without which the best practices would lose their relevance. Be it the number of car parking slots required or the IT systems, India is different and needs an indigenous solution.

BPMW has got the timing right and has a golden opportunity with regard to scripting a new chapter in the Indian retail story. What would actually set it apart would be out-of-the-box solutions for the customers. Value is not only price. In that context, even though the name suggests best price, the stores would become winners by offering holistic value to the customers.

The BPMW team should explore simple but far-reaching ideas to make a positive impact on the businesses of their customers and more importantly explore ideas that create a strong emotional connect. For example, the customers could be offered life insurance for free based on annual purchase slabs. Given that this customer segment usually does not have such a financial safety net, the emotional and actual benefits of such a simple step would have far-reaching implications.

That the existing cash-and-carry stores are now expanding is proof that this format has found acceptance with the B2B customers. Anyway, almost 30 per cent of the small traders purchase from the wholesale market and for them this format is a good alternative.

Hotels and restaurants find tremendous value in the offerings because of the range of food products made available. One of the existing cash-and-carry operators works towards offering specialised food products, including special cuts of meats for its customers. In a way, this is good for BPMW as there is an existing benchmark. They need to match the value offering and better it in the coming years.

The MTV spoof of yesteryear which ends with the line “We are like that only”, about sums up India.

Accepting and managing the environment and consumers should be a key guiding principle. I sincerely hope that the team sheds its legacy of greatness, experiments and finds a brilliant working model for the Indian marketplace.

And in true Indian style, let us welcome this new addition to the Indian retail landscape and wish them well.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/

Live Chat Buyers' Guide for Automotive Dealers:11 Key Questions to Ask any Provider before You Buy

ActivEngage, the automotive industry's premier provider of proactive live chat with business intelligence for dealer websites, today announced the release of the Live Chat Buyers' Guide, a new eBook for automotive dealers. lEleven Key Questions to Ask any Live Chat Provider before You Buy) helps educate dealers about the most critical requirements for live chat success and details the questions dealers should discuss with any chat vendor. As consumers increasingly use and expect live chat on dealership websites, and more options become available, it is more important than ever for dealers to make the best decision for their dealership needs.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 2, 2009 -- ActivEngage, the automotive industry's premier provider of proactive live chat with business intelligence for dealer websites, today announced the release of the Live Chat Buyers' Guide, a new eBook for automotive dealers. Eleven Key Questions to Ask any Live Chat Provider before You Buy helps educate dealers about the most critical requirements for live chat success and details the questions dealers should discuss with any chat vendor. As consumers increasingly use and expect live chat on dealership websites, and more options become available, it is more important than ever for dealers to make the best decision for their dealership needs.

The new eBook guides dealers through the discussion they need to have with chat vendors to ensure success and addresses the best in class technology, service and support capabilities that chat vendors should offer dealerships. The main focus of the Buyers' Guide helps dealers determine whether a chat vendor merely offers IM technology, or a true chat application with business intelligence.

Business intelligence enables the most effective live chat because it allows dealers to leverage knowledge about the customer's behavior, before they engage them in conversation, and it facilitates a high level of personalization that IM technology does not allow. This is key for increased website lead generation. Other questions are designed to help dealers assess how much experience chat vendors have with meeting the unique needs of dealerships, another important determinant of success. The questions also allow dealers to gauge how progressive providers' technical capabilities are and how adept vendors are at integrating chat with other communication channels, in addition to the dealership website.

"Increasingly, dealers now realize the benefits that live chat can offer to enhance customer service and qualified lead generation at the dealership website," commented Todd Smith, ActivEngage co-founder. "We created the eBook Buyers' Guide to help all dealers make the most well-informed purchase decision, based on their particular dealership needs. Effective live chat is not about putting a "click-to-chat" button the website and it's not just about the technology. The best vendors will also offer dealers the business intelligence and services that can easily double or triple website leads when used properly. Live chat is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to increase first-party leads, and that is more important than ever today."

Source: http://www.prweb.com/

451 Marketing Announces the Launch of its "B2B Social Contest"

Boston, MA (PRWEB) June 1, 2009 -- 451 Marketing, a Boston-based new media communications agency, announced the launch of its "B2B Social Contest" today. To demonstrate the power of social media in generating new business leads for business-to-business (B2B) companies, 451 Marketing will give away a free, 6-month online lead generation campaign (a $42,000 value) to the business that best describes why social media will help it grow.

"We have decided to launch this campaign in direct response to the emergence of social media as an integral component of any B2B marketing campaign," said 451 Marketing Founding Partner AJ Gerritson. "B2B companies now recognize the importance of cultivating leads online through social media marketing and inbound marketing strategies, and we look forward to offering our expertise to the contest's winner."

The contest will run from June 1, 2009 through September 1, 2009. B2B companies that wish to enter the contest must, in an e-mail, describe their company, its mission, product or service, and what differentiates their company from its competitors. Most importantly, they must convey why and how they think social media marketing will positively impact their B2B business. Upon receipt, these e-mail submissions will be posted on The B2B Social Contest Blog.

Companies are encouraged to ask their clients, friends, and colleagues to comment on their company's post. On September 1, 2009, 451 Marketing will tally the total number of comments each post received over the course of the 3 month contest. The five posts with the most comments will be considered finalists, and 451 Marketing will select the winner from this pool.

About 451 Marketing:

451 Marketing is a Boston-based, Inbound Marketing agency that specializes in leveraging new media technologies to generate new business leads for B2B companies. We are experts in social media marketing, search marketing, digital public relations (PR 2.0), and Web site 2.0 design and development. For more information, contact us at moreinfo (at) 451marketing.com.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/

B2B Marketing Moving Dollars Online

One of the trends coming out of the recession appears to be the shift to online marketing for many b2b companies with a recent report backing up that theory.

eMarketer reports that a joint study from MarketingProfs and Forrester Research finds that two-thirds of respondents say their budgets would stay the same or increase in 2009. However, while these companies are not decreasing their marketing spending, they are shifting where their dollars go.

The report finds that 47 percent of b2b companies said they plan to increase spending on search engine marketing (SEM) this year while 34 percent said they will increase spending on blogs, according to eMarketer.

In fact, blogs appear to be the biggest winner in this study with only 7 percent of b2b companies saying they plan to cut their budget allocations to blogs. By contrast, 55 percent said they will cut spending on print advertising - the largest percentage on the list.

A report earlier this month from Outsell found that 74 percent of small b2b advertisers will increase or maintain spending in 2009 with another 60 percent of large b2b advertisers expected to do the same. Much of these dollars will end up going to online marketing with the report finding that the category will see an 8.2 percent increase over 2008.

Source: http://www.komarketingassociates.com/