A Day of Silence …
Inside Facebook - What’s It Worth?
I recently spent a chunk of my life reporting a story on Facebook , the social networking phenomenon that seems to have swept away every person on the planet under 24 years of age. Nineteen million users worth. Or, as one extraordinarily intense intern here at Fast Company put it, “My. Whole. Life. Is. On. Facebook. SeriouslyIloveitsomuch.” Well. Seems worth a look, eh?
Read the full article at FastCompany …
The ABCs of Split Testing
By now you’ve probably heard of A/B split testing — or showing your customers different versions of the same pages to see what works — and like most time-strapped e-tailers, aren’t sure exactly what’s involved and how to tackle it.
When done correctly, A/B can help you increase your conversion rates, address problem pages and challenge your assumptions about how to optimize your site. While such testing can be complex to conduct, if you have command of the basics and stay focused on what you need to do for your small business, you can glean valuable information without too much effort.
Read the full article at eCommerce-Times.com …
Road to wealth: Cashing out
Last March two of the most exciting moments in John Gravely’s life happened at once. His daughter, Taylor, was born, and - via his cell phone from the hospital - he worked on a $6 million deal to sell his software company.
Read the full article at Fortune Small Business …
How to Research Your Business Idea
Somewhere between scribbling your idea on a cocktail napkin and actually starting a business, there’s a process you need to carry out that essentially determines either your success or failure in business. Oftentimes, would-be entrepreneurs get so excited about their “epiphanies “-the moments when they imagine the possibilities of a given idea-that they forget to find out whether that idea is viable.
Read the full article at Entrepreneur.com …
Follow These Steps to Shopping Site Success
As the e-commerce market matures, shopping-comparison sites, also called shopping search engines, continue to thrive as an excellent source of revenue for e-tailers. These sites connect your merchandise with consumers often ready to buy specific items at competitive prices. Typically, this approach saves shoppers both time and money while also providing e-store owners with an effective way to produce sales. In fact, in recent years, shopping comparison sites have advanced so much and become so popular that some Web shop owners profit solely from using these channels.
Read the full article at ecommerce-times.com …
Are Barter Sites Right for You?
Don’t want it? Swap it. Or so says a growing number of entrepreneurs running sites that let people swap all kinds of stuff. Bartering is the oldest business practice around, and a handful of swap sites arose during the dotcom era. Most didn’t survive. Now the sector is re-energized, thanks to better technology and shrewder online shoppers who have accumulated stuff they no longer want or need.
Read the full article at Entrepreneur.com …
A Guide to VoIP — Just the FAQs
Internet telephony, more commonly known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), was virtually nonexistent several years ago, but these days, it’s a viable option for almost anyone with a broadband connection.
Considering all the attention VoIP is getting, you might be thinking about signing up for it and may even have already received (multiple) solicitations from service providers. There are some things you’ll want to know before taking the plunge, however, so we’ve prepared a list of the most frequently asked questions about VoIP.
Read the full article at Small Business Computing…
Writing a Business Plan
What a Business Plan Should Include - Critical information that should be in a business plan includes the type of business it is, the products for sale or the services offered, the proposed or actual location of the business and how it is to be run (whether self run or some person will be hired to run it). The manpower to be hired for the efficient running of the business and the costs involved, ways of generating income with marketing and advertising strategies, identifying target customers and market competition should also be included.
Read the full article at MoreBusiness…
When Public Speaking is Enemy #1
It’s happening again. Your pulse is racing, your palms are sweating, and your voice is choking up. No, you’re not being robbed at gunpoint; you’re about to address a group of your most promising potential investors.