Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2015

With the advent of social media and the pervasive move to smartphones, even customers who still prefer to purchase in brick-and-mortar stores have dramatically changed their shopping habits. If you refuse to play by their rules, they have the power to easily find alternatives, and actively pull other potential customers away.

Customer 103

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 103

socalTECH

OCTOBER 29, 2009

Pasadena-based Central Desktop , a developer of software-as-a-service tools for project management, said Thursday that it has linked with John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing, to provide a custom version of its software to Duct Tape Marketing. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed.

Sites 133

Sites Marketing SaaS Pasadena 133

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Others schedule exhaustive training sessions for everyone on the team, including showcase customers, to make sure that everyone paints a consistent picture. The Founder needs to remember that meetings up to this point have been primarily off-site, with staged demos, and managed personally by the CEO or a small team.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2019

Shane Bernstein: We're looking at things from a lot of different sites, and using big data to process them. That includes hundreds of thousands of sites on the web today. That lets us compare and contrast users across individual sites, and help rank the talent pool accordingly, and rank them subjectively.

Sites 240

Sites Startup Tool CTO Hire 240

InfoChachkie

JULY 16, 2012

Others shun translucent run-of-site Google ads, because they are distracting and monetize at extremely low rates. By solving both the technology and the distribution requirements for video to engage and track, Coull makes the dream a reality of ads being in context within video across an unlimited number of sites.”.

Customer 226

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Advertising 226

socalTECH

JUNE 10, 2009

Active Network , the San Diego-based operator of an online community for sports and recreational activities, revealed Tuesday that Active.com has been named the technology provider for iHoops. Active explained that, as technology provider, it will host and maintain iHoops.com, which is slated to launch in the fall. READ MORE>>.

Sites 100

Sites Web Activity San Diego 100

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 19, 2019

TechCrunch spoke to two customers who said the Mercedes-Benz’ connected car app was pulling in information from other accounts and not their own, allowing them to see other car owners’ names, recent activity, phone numbers, and more. The other customer said they did not attempt to test either feature.

Startup 189

Startup Los Angeles Customer Custom 189

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

You may feel good when that first burst of customers arrives, but don’t assume that “ word of mouth ” and those early adopters will grow your business to match your dreams of success. In these days of global competition via multiple channels, you need continuous marketing to find more customers. They won’t find you.

Technical Review 142

Technical Review Social Media Conference Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Back in the early 2000s, the Maker Movement took hold in California, based on the emergence of such do-it-yourself (DIY) tools as 3-D printers, and now sites such as SketchUp and Makerspaces have all the tools you need to make almost anything computer related. Meet the new consumer demand for customization.

Startup 159

Startup Tool Design Demand 159

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Find ways to recharge your emotional batteries, through supportive relationships and community activities. Start today. Marty Zwilling.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

InfoChachkie

JULY 5, 2012

Coull Entrepreneurs Get More Customers. Others shun translucent run-of-site Google ads, because they are distracting and monetize at extremely low rates. We develop products that contextually engage the user at the moment at which they are most actively engaged with a given concept. Coull Offers Advertisers Video Skimlinks. <JG

Customer 133

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Advertising 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

Others schedule exhaustive training sessions for everyone on the team, including showcase customers, to make sure that everyone paints a consistent picture. The Founder needs to remember that meetings up to this point have been primarily off-site, with staged demos, and managed personally by the CEO or a small team.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2013

Customers are people too, so customers tend to take their relationship with a brand personally. Proving the new model today are sites like Patagonia and Zappos. But how do you know if your brand is projecting warmth and competence to your customers? Customers watch and judge whether people or profits come first.

Customer 86

Customer Custom Commerce Social Media 86

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

Building a minimum viable product, with customer validation. Years ago, it cost a million dollars for a new e-commerce site, one that you can now create for almost nothing with current tools and technology. Early customer feedback will position your solution, and help you make pivots before critical time and money are lost.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media News 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2021

Every startup fears that one angry and unfair customer who can jeopardize the business by a negative post on Ripoff Report , Yelp , or one of the hundreds of other consumer complaint and review sites on the Internet. You can easily remove content you own (comments on your site or accounts). Quickly address every negative.

Search Engine Optimization 163

Search Engine Optimization Content Social Network Google 163

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2012

In what is a huge blow to Silicon Beach, Santa Monica-based BetterWorks , the software-and-technology-meets-employee-perks startup run by Paige Craig, told its users today that it is sunsetting its site on May 31st. BetterWorks--and Paige Craig--have been one of the companies driving the growth in Santa Monica's Silicon Beach.

Santa Monica 275

Santa Monica Redpoint Email Activity 275

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2013

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. Solis outlines the heuristics of social psychology that are key to building positive customer experiences today.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Startup Social Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2019

If you find yourself and your business in one of these categories, it’s time to heed the steps I recommend to every business client today: Ask for a good review from every satisfied customer. Customers these days expect to get asked, and often need that little extra push to put a testimonial on your website.

Customer 86

Customer Custom Examples Sites 86

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

And measuring activities or output can mislead you into thinking you’re doing a great job. So they create a task list of all the marketing activities an organization can do: press releases, web site updates, customer case studies, blog posts, daily Tweets, Facebook fan page, attending conferences, etc.

Activity 164

Activity Conference Press Case Study 164

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

It is no secret that Pinterest and other social commerce sites have begun to dial in the commerce equation. These sites (so far) have managed to balance facilitating product discovery and purchase capabilities with users'' desires to entertain and educate themselves without feeling like they are in a marketplace.

Entrepreneur 210

Entrepreneur Commerce Sites Social Network 210

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. Don’t expect angels to invest in work-at-home schemes, gambling sites or debt-collection type business proposals.

Venture Capital 106

Venture Capital Angel Seed Funding Invest 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2016

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. Before the product is set in stone, you can test your message and continue to refine it until it connects well with investors, as well as customers. Start actively blogging on your own site, as well as on industry forums.

Customer 58

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

Here are some key strategies that I recommend to prompt you when changes to your business may be required: Look for a changing customer sense of value. You may be getting killed today by customer expectations you never worried about just a few years ago. List potential new opportunities outside your domain.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2023

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. Before the product is set in stone, you can test your message and continue to refine it until it connects well with investors, as well as customers. Start actively blogging on your own site, as well as on industry forums.

Ideas 126

Ideas Startup Social Media Blogging 126

socalTECH

JANUARY 15, 2019

Ekahau operates an online site which provides Wi-Fi and wireless design planning resources, and was based in Virginia; Castle Connolly operates an online website that provides a guides to doctors, and was based in New York.

Company 133

Company Companies Southern California Acquisition 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. There are dozens of tools available to help you monitor relevant activity, including Social Mention and Google Alerts.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

For all those entrepreneurs and startups who can’t yet afford a new age marketing agency, it’s impossible to keep up with “best of breed” marketing activities and strategies. With social media, you can interact more precisely and create custom products and marketing to be almost all things to all people.

Marketing 107

Marketing Technical Review Startup Innocal 107

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

Jim Sterne, who has written many books on Internet advertising, marketing, and customer service, tackled this complex world of social media metrics in a classic book titled simply " Social Media Metrics." Social media is the realm of public opinion and customer conversations. Measure customer response and action.

Social Media 127

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127

socalTECH

JUNE 10, 2014

Los Angeles-based comparison shopping site Shopzilla said Monday that it is wrapping up its Bizrate Insights, Audience Discovery, and Activation Services all under one, single brand under the Connexity name. All of the various units provide targeting and advertising services and technology to customers. READ MORE>>.

Advertising 138

Advertising Equity Los Angeles Activity 138

socalTECH

DECEMBER 8, 2017

AT&T says it has deployed two portable cell phone sites in the affected area of the Thomas Fire, one at Thomas Aquinas College and another on Johnson Road, as part of its response to the wildfires. Verizon is also offering up similar data and text relief for their customers. READ MORE>>.

La Canada Flintridge 100

La Canada Flintridge La Canada Ventura Customer 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Building a minimum viable product, with customer validation. Years ago, it cost a million dollars for a new e-commerce site, one that you can now create for almost nothing with current tools and technology. Early customer feedback will position your solution, and help you make pivots before critical time and money are lost.

Tips 161

Tips Startup Social Media News 161

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

For all those entrepreneurs and startups who can’t yet afford a new age marketing agency, it’s impossible to keep up with “best of breed” marketing activities and strategies. With social media, you can interact more precisely and create custom products and marketing to be almost all things to all people.

Mobile 173

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Startup 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2022

While Pinterest and Tumbler have seen activity increases approaching 100%, The Verge reports that Facebook usage has declined in the U.S. Engagement occurs when customers and stakeholders become participants by sharing ideas with you, or talking to their friends about you, rather than merely viewing what you publish.

Social Media 140

Social Media Media Snapchat Platform 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2022

Start by reviewing current statistics, like the recent Social Media Marketing Benchmark Report 2022 , to learn which social media sites are most popular, which features drive the most impact today, and how other social media marketers have maximized their efforts and seen the greatest ROI. Pick the ones that fit your desired outcome.

Social Media 135

Social Media Framework Media Metrics 135

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2011

In the rush toward the daily deals space, it seems like there is at least one, new, daily deals site created every day. It's an incredibly crowded industry, which not only includes giants like Groupon and LivingSocial, but countless smaller sites, newspapers, and others all looking for a piece of the action. What is Deal Current?

Platform 263

Platform Training Software Review Advertising 263

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 14, 2010

So they create a task list of all the marketing activities an organization can do: press releases, web site updates, customer case studies, blog posts, daily Tweets, Facebook fan page, attending conferences, etc. You have a marketing department with three people. They’re tasked with doing … marketing.

Startup 323

Startup Press Development Team Review SEM 323

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Find ways to recharge your emotional batteries, through supportive relationships and community activities. Start today. Marty Zwilling.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129