Waypoint Systems Ltd has been providing online applications to a wide range of SME’s since 2003 - specializing in the creation, development and maintenance of bespoke websites as well as online data collection systems.

In 2008 Waypoint launched two bespoke software applications, which have been developed in-house to suit the needs of their client mix. These are an e-commerce store and a website content management system – both of which are extendable and flexible enough to deal with Waypoints ever growing list of clients and industry sectors.

Olivia Willcocks is the Managing Director of Waypoint Systems and here, she shares her 10 top tips to check that your website is working for you.

(1) Ensure your website is up to date.

Keep on top of the content you have online, make sure you only have new and relevant news and that all the pages contain up to date material.

(2) Manage the content yourself.

Make sure you are able to change everything on your website and that you receive adequate training on how to do this. With a good system you should be able to change every word and image on your website including the metadata.

(3) Make sure you know how well your website is working for you.

Are you meeting the targets you set for the website? Do you know that you are – are you getting monthly statistics reports or do you get access to online statistics so you can ensure that your website works for you?

(4) Make sure you are in control of the metadata on each page.

Each page of your website should have its own set of keywords and you should be able to alter these yourself. The CMS element of your website should also let you know what are strong and weak keywords for that individual page. This will increase your search engine optimization ratings significantly.

(5) Purchase similar domain names.

By purchasing similar domain names to your primary domain name you will not only aid your search engine ratings but will also stop your competitors from purchasing them and pointing the domains to their website.

(6) Feel comfortable with your website supplier.

Having a holistic approach to your relationship with your website supplier will ensure that you are able to tell them exactly what you think and what you want – after all your website supplier is one of your top sales agents.

(7) Ensure your website has synergy with the other elements of your marketing mix.

It is imperative that the look and feel of your website resembles the other marketing material that you utilize within your company. Failure to do this can result in mixed and confusing messages being sent out to your potential clients.

(8) Use a bespoke CMS or e-commerce element that works for you.

Using a templated element to your website will leave you without the ability to expand your website as you grow. A bespoke solution tailored to suit your company needs will ensure that you can keep your web presence up to date and relevant at all times.

(9) Does your website pass W3C standards.

All websites should pass W3C standards – this is the World Wide Web Consortium and they are responsible for developing specifications and guidelines to lead the web to its full potential. These guidelines will include web accessibility – so ensuring that your website can be viewed by people with site disabilities for example.

(10) Publish your website.

Once you have a website that you are proud of make sure you publish it and advertise the URL on all your marketing equipment. This is especially important for online marketing in order for you to build up your link exchanges, which aid your search engine optimization.

For more information on anything covered in this article please contact Olivia A Willcocks (o.willcocks@waypointsystems.co.uk) or alternatively check out their website http://www.waypointsystems.co.uk/.

Top Ten Money Making Tips For A Successful Business

Earlier this month, Sonia Colon, the lady behind My Fashion E-Mall Blog gave us some top tips on running a successful business. In this post, she takes a look at the top ten tips for maximising the earnings potential of a successful business.

1. Quality

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Provide a quality product/service which people want and need.

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2. Customer Loyalty/Service

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Help your customers feel that they can trust you. Be honest and trustworthy. Offer money back guarantees and stick to your policies. Treat your customers like gold.

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3. Offer something for free once in awhile

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Your customers concern is how your product can help them. How will it meet their needs; improve their lives; make them happier; etc. Offer something of value and they will buy what you’re selling.

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4. Creative / Unique

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Own and control your products/services. Offer something that only YOU can provide. Have exclusive control over at least one of your products/services. It should be something that people cannot find anywhere else and wanted by a lot of people.
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5. Make Money to Spend Money

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Spend money on advertising and promotion. Although there are many free methods to work within your budget, you will still need to spend some money in order to make money.
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6. Put back in what you harvest

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Take a portion of your profits and re-invest that money back into the business. Use that money to purchase more ads, brochures, catalogs, t-shirts, flyers, etc.

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7. Grow and Multiply

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Put others firstSatisfy the needs of others. Help them achieve their dreams. Show your expertise and in the process others will follow your lead.

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8. Seek the Help of Others

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Use services to help you reach a wider audience, such as dealers, distributors, Internet, customers and networking.

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9. Other Successful Business Owners

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Seek the advise of other successful people. Find someone who is making the kind of money that you want to make. Do exactly what they are doing, why re-invent the wheel?

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10. Get Personal

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Know your customers by name. Thank your customers and acknowledge them.

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There you have it the “Top ten money making tips for a successful business”
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Thanks again, Sonia!

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Sonia Colon is writer/publisher of My Fashion E-Mall Blog & The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom Blog! Writing & sharing powerful business articles & successful Internet marketing tips on starting & maintaining a lucrative work-at-home business is a passion

Top 6 Tips For Business Success

Sonia Colon offers the six essential skills to business success. Sonia says you may not have developed all of these skills, but like most things in life, you can by learning, practicing and determination. Implement them and you’ll be on the right track.

1. Personal Skills

A healthy self esteem is necessary for you to tackle the day to day tasks of business. As an entrepreneur, you will spend a great deal of time working solo. Listen to your heart but consult your head before making final business decisions. Keep motivated by staying on track of plans and organization.

2. Communication Skills

You must sharpen your communication skills if they have become a little rusty. You may find yourself needing to communicate with lawyers, accountants, bank managers etc. You need to be able to get your message across clearly. Good communication will reduce the chance of being misunderstood. It’s essential to be able to communicate effectively at a variety of levels, in a variety of manners, to a variety of people. There are many self-help books on this topic.

3. People Skills

People will make or break your business. You will make or break your business. You are Your business. The way you deal with people will determine much of you business success. Good manners, politeness, and attentiveness to your customers’ needs are what will ensure repeat business. Customers need to feel that they are important to you.

4. Marketing Skills

To round off your entrepreneurial skills, you will have to have a sound knowledge of marketing your business. Marketing is the ability to communicate to your potential customers and inform them of your products and or services. Know how to define and target your market. You need to know what will work for your business. Read books, talk to others and observe how other types of businesses successfully market their businesses. Usually effective marketing involves a combination of many techniques that can change from time to time.

5. Technical Skills

Read books, attend seminars, workshops, trade shows and conferences to add to your technical knowledge and keep a leading edge on your competition. Don’t make the mistake of working at your business and forget to work on your business. Never cease your education in your area of expertise, and remember to keep up with the changing technology within your chosen field.

6. Financial Skills

You have to be financially knowledgeable in the business world. Your entrepreneurial knowledge should include basic accounting, organizational and administrative skills, an understanding of all tax laws, federal and provincial requirements, and an in-depth knowledge of the business that you are running.

It may sound like a lot to learn, but take heart. You can learn everything you need to know to run a successful business. No one was born a business HOT-SHOT. There are an abundance of courses offering business management training. There are also self-help books that can assist you with the financial aspects of your business needs.

Sonia Colon is writer/publisher of My Fashion E-Mall Blog & The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom Blog! Writing & sharing powerful business articles & successful Internet marketing tips on starting & maintaining a lucrative work-at-home business is a passion.

Top Tips For Mortgages, From Gallimore Adams.

In the first of our features from our business partners, Laraine Adams, of independent mortage brokers, Galimore Adams Ltd, gives us a few top tips to help us make sense of our mortgages in this infamous 'credit crunch';

As everyone knows, today’s financial market is a tricky one. Not only has the number of mortgages available decreased dramatically, but the criteria for securing a mortgage has changed too. Here is a step by step guide to finding a new mortgage, and how to avoid the pitfalls.

1) Arm yourself with information

It may sound obvious but find out what rate your local bank is offering and note the competitor rates that are being advertised on the television and radio.

2) Consider how much of the work you want to do

If you are financially savvy, ensure you read the small print; in particular the rate, penalties, and the fees.

If you are not so confident, find a mortgage broker. Ask your friends and family if they can recommend someone. Perhaps do a Google search for mortgage advisers in your area and find out what ‘word of mouth’ has to say about them.

3) Narrowing down the options

Ensure the adviser you chose is ‘whole of market’. This means the adviser can look at all products available to them on the market, rather than just a specific panel of lenders.

Find out if the adviser charges fees. Charging a fee does not mean the advice you receive will be any better.

Ensure you choose an adviser you feel comfortable with. You need to trust them and feel confident they are going to find the best deal for you.

4) Adverse credit?

If you should have any adverse credit, do not just consider those brokers advertising that they specialise in poor credit histories. A whole of market adviser will have access to the same deals. And ensure you are upfront and honest with the adviser about your credit history.

5) Keep ALL of your options open

Some banks and building societies are offering rates that are only available if you go to them directly rather than through an adviser. A good adviser will tell you if you will benefit from going directly to a lender.

6) Protecting your mortgage

Don’t automatically take out payment protection in conjunction with your mortgage. This can be very expensive. Your adviser should discuss the protection you should consider and again the adviser can research the best deal for you.

As some lenders will only deal with you directly, do some research of your own as well. If you find a great PP deal that beats anything your adviser suggests, then ask your adviser to compare the cover. Again, a good adviser will be open and honest with you even if it means you take protection cover out elsewhere.

To find out more, contact Laraine or Laura, on 01952 463852, or why not check them out at http://www.gallimoreadams.co.uk/