Saturday, June 6, 2009

Lucky Door Prizes - Tips To Make Them Legal And Work For Your Business

Many businesses use competitions and lucky door prizes as a way of generating leads or building their data base. But if done incorrectly you will end up losing customers and could even find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

So how do you run lucky door prizes or competitions that are legal and get you brilliant results?

Top 10 Tips for competitions

1. Work out your intent. You need to know why you are running the competition in the first place. Is it to qualify leads, get email addresses for your database, get a new marketing slogan, and get feedback on your product or some other purpose? Start with the end in mind. When you know why you are running the competition you will adjust the prizes, competition form and process to best match your needs.

2. You need an entry box. A lot of people use clear bowls or fishbowls for people to put their cards into. These don't keep the details private so could breach privacy regulations in some locations. The best option is a solid sided cardboard entry box. You can buy a gift box and cut out a hole or buy a blank entry box from a cardboard box manufacturer. You can of course get one purpose designed and built for you. For online competitions I suggest setting up a separate email account just for each competition to keep your entries separate.

3. Somewhere to lean on to complete the forms. People need somewhere to lean on to fill in the forms. If the table you use is too low or you force people to sit down to complete the forms, many people won'T bother entering. Make sure your table is the right height for people to lean on (and no handing out clipboards with forms isn't the solution. Many people are juggling bags and kids so can't juggle a clipboard as well). Being comfortable also works for online competitions. If your form is tricky to complete you can expect people to click away rather than stay.

4. Make it obvious. Your competition needs to be located at the front of your trade stand or your office. It needs to be clearly and obviously signed so people can find it and are encouraged to enter. Put a banner on your website letting passing traffic know about your competition and where they can find you to enter.

5. Tell people about it. Tell your regular clients about your competition as well as your new clients. You could also tell some of the major competition sites ... where the site collates competitions and lets their members know so they can enter them.

6. Make it worth their while. Giving away a low value item is not likely to generate much interest in your competition. Make the offer enticing with high perceived value.

7. Protect their privacy. You need to make it very clear how you will handle their personal details. Will you pass on their information to other people? Will you contact them to send them marketing material? You need to tell people what you will do with their information. Give them an opt-out box for them to tick if they don't want to receive any further information from you (and respect that tick in the box if you don't want to fall foul of Spam Laws and Do Not Call Registers).

8. Sort out your legals. Many locations have strong rules around the operation of gaming including Lucky Door Prizes.

In Queensland the Office of Gaming Regulation Inspectors check every stand of almost every expo or tradeshow for compliance. You need to download the Guidelines for Promotional Games and comply with items such as retention of entries for 5 years, the order of drawing prizes, written terms and conditions which must include things such as:

a. the name of the person running the promotion
b. Eligibility requirements for players
c. Description and retail value of each prize
d. Closing and drawing dates
e. Order the prizes will be drawn
f. How winners will be notified
g. Whether the results will be published and where
h. What will happen if the winner is not present at the draw
i. Any elimination rounds

It almost goes without saying that of you run a competition you must honour your commitments and actually award the prizes (unless you get no entries at all). Running a competition and not awarding the prizes can see you before the courts.

9. Follow up promptly. If you are using the competition to generate leads or create a data base then follow up on all entries within 14 days of close of the competition. You may want to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) to convert the entries or business cards into a database for you. Pre-book your VA so they have time to do your data-entry when it arrives. When following up remind the person where you got their details.

10. Trumpet the winners. If you can get their consent, get photos of the winners that you can use in your marketing and promote the details of the winners to your mailing list and local media. Most people love the spotlight (and other people love to know the inside of other people's lives). Good news stories are great for business.

If you follow these top 10 tips you will improve the response to your competitions and lucky door prizes and get more "bang for your competition buck."

About the Author

Ingrid Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter with her Brisbane Copywriting Business (Heart Harmony). Ingrid writes a free weekly small business newsletter packed full of articles and tips and Small Business Ideas blog for small businesses. www.heartharmony.com.au

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Internet Marketing Elements That May Affect Your Home Based Business

At present, many people are choosing Internet Marketing to earn full time income.A lot of individuals who are working at home and managing their home based businesses whether partly or entirely dependant on Internet Marketing as an effective source to make money.Regardless it is individual or company, both need to fully understand the concept of Internet Marketing and keep in mind several factors that might really affect their business if not considered.

As any other profession, Internet Marketers are facing some challenges and obstacles which may eventually lead to reduce the chances of their success or in other words slow down the phase of their work.The main challenges are the language and culture barriers that may cause some problems for Internet Marketers while interacting with their customers and other partner websites.

Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop kind of programs that would help in translating any language to different languages that would be understandable to the customer.Not to forget the cultural differences like principles and customs that play a role in a lot of peoples lives and put that in consideration too.

May I also emphasize on the importance of a good management as well as a clear vision while marketing on the internet to cope up with the rapid changes in the market on both local and international levels.Also keep in mind that marketing is a difficult job to perform generally and it might not work if the people working in this field do not understand it very well.

So talking about the Arab World, this might be one of the main challenges that is facing Internet Marketing companies here, considering that what happens in most of the Arabic companies is only an attempt to market electronically but really without any supporting specialty.

Often, these companies fail to copy the means and methods shown in the different internet websites that in many cases do not succeed to communicate the message or to present the overall product to the end customer.Adding to that, according to some online marketing experts, these copied methods will not aim to more than either experimenting what might work and waiting for the reaction or applying the trick and seduce strategies similar to any other traditional marketing transaction.

Privacy and Confidentiality also considered among the obstacles that face people working in this field.In other words, the number of customers who adopt the idea of shopping and dealing through the internet will definitely affect its popularity, especially that most of the electronic transactions require getting some information from customers such as name, nationality, address and payment method.For this reason, there is a need to incorporate special security softwares and plug-ins to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the commercial transactions and encrypting the electronic payment system to avoid suspicious and fraudulent activities.

Other concerns to the privacy factor include the necessity of introducing the laws and procedures to regulate the internet marketing operations and preserve copying and publishing rights on the web as well as develop the financial and commercial systems to facilitate online marketing activities.

It is also very important to educate and make individuals and organizations aware about the internet and its effects on our modern lives especially in those countries who are still behind in using the internet.

The good news though is in spite of the challenges facing Internet Marketing as discussed above, Information Technology experts are optimistic that Internet Marketing jobs are going to get better opportunities and seekers in the coming days with the wide spread of the internet and the huge circular of commercial and intellectual transactions already happening through it.

International Trade Organization for instance, has published a report that illustrates that number of internet users in the world have increased to more than 100 million users in 2005 which 1/3 were from the United States itself.The report has also stated that the expected business transactions that are taking place through the internet will constitute about 70% of the total global trade by 2010.


About the Author

Mona Abdulla is the owner of http://www.

AutomatedNotes.com and reviews popular home business ideas and opportunities.With Automated Notes you can get your own home business website setup to earn multiple streams of income within 24 hours.Click here to start your own home business today!

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Dental Web Page Design Success Is Measured By Visitor Usability

It's often difficult to determine what makes a successful dental web page design, but one key factor is measured by visitor usability.You may have the fanciest dental web sites with all the bells and whistles, but if your online visitors can't navigate through the web site to find the information they are seeking, you're wasting your money.

A good dental web page design will provide even first time visitors with the ability to discover the services you offer and other valuable information quickly and easily without having to hunt and search for it.In today's world of instant information, visitors simply will not take the time to look.If it's not obvious, they know they can simply click away and look at other dental web sites for the needed information.

Be Clear And Brief


Skimming is the norm when it comes to surfing the web.

Visitors glance at the page in whole at first.Your job is to create a dental web page design that will catch their eye in such a manner that they want to look longer and in greater detail.Many readers will not complete an article before they go on to something else.If you have an important link that you want to make sure visitors see, try to keep it above the mid-point of the page.A contrasting color or font change may significantly increase the chances of visitors seeing the link as well.

The placement of content within dental web sites can influence its success as well.Studies tracking the eye movement of web site visitors have determined that the upper left-hand quadrant is the most often looked at.The farther away from this point an item is, the less noticeable it becomes.

Be Easy To Navigate


Dental web sites need to be easy to navigate, especially those that contain a large amount of diverse information.

The buttons that link the various pages together may not get used if they are placed in an uncommon place.They should not be too large or placed too close together so they are difficult to use.You also must consider the color of the buttons or text.It should complement the color scheme of your dental web page design but still stand out so it can easily be found.You can be unique and not stick with tradition as long as it still works.

Speed Is Of The Essence


Today, everyone is in a hurry; they want their food fast as well as their information.

If dental web sites take too long to load, an online visitor isn't going to take the time to wait.They will simply click the back button and go to someone else's dental web site.While most people do have a high-speed internet connection, those that still use a dial-up connection may become frustrated.If the page is too large and complicated, it may even cause their computer to lock up or crash.Large flash files, audio files, and detailed images all increase the time needed for a computer to load the site.This does not mean you shouldn't use these types of files, it just means you should use them wisely.

Dental web page design is as much about usability as it is about behavior.Good dental web sites need to find the ideal balance between visitor comfort and standing out against the competition.


About the Author

Christine O'Kelly is an author for the dental web page design experts at Officite.

They have produced more than 3,100 results-driven dental web sites for dental and medical professionals since 2002 resulting in over 100,000 appointments.

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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Top 10 Ways To Get More Prospects Excited About What You Sell

If you want to increase your sales then you must get your prospect really excited about your offer. Not just your product or service but the whole package of benefits theyll receive by being your customer.

Theres a whole bunch of ideas you could use that, added together will mean they can hardly wait to whip out their credit and buy from you.

Try these top 10 ways to get more prospects excited about what you sell.

1. Benefit-packed copy

Load your copy with benefits that meet the needs of your prospects. Turn your features into benefits and pack them throughout your copy. Write your benefits in Whats-in-it-for-me-terms WIIFM to get people excited about buying what you are offering.

2. Back up that reads delicately comparable to you talk

A correct tip here is to be in contact in a conversational tone. Delicately comparable to you are chatting to an being. In specific its a good guidelines to picture a big wig correctly in front of you, sedentary in a chair, and youre chatting to one another. Who is that individual And whatsoever is it that you are expression to themselves Keep in touch in that tone and it will understood such as an exciting 2-way dialogue.

3. Annoyance-calling it quits make a copy

Empathise along furthermore your readers disappointment and let each other get hold of you not certainly comprehend their disappointment but understanding a resolution to their affair.

4. Virtual journey of your style or package

Take your likelihood on a "cruise" via your organization and showcase your process and staff. Or show your make or facility. Contains audio and picture to make a really courageous connection.

5. Show how esoteric recruits taste fared by the use of your type or provision

Come into sight your opening how peculiar staff are accomplishing the solutions they are surfing to get. Its testimony that it goes and contributes confidence that "if it runs for them, itll work for me". So thats bold. You can use tributes or case studies or certainly enlighten a tale and for the certain impact use pictures, audio or movie to showcase valid people.

6. Irresistible award backed up by "excuse why" make a copy

Award so much examine that your chance must hold advantage of it or feel inane if they dont You can give bonuses that worth you precisely immature to bring forth such as without charge related reports, interviews or e-books also costly perceived evaluate. Or side up also a non-contending interest and get an introductory ticket to their services to souvenir to your clientele. Consider to locality a dollar judge on each item so that combined, they add up to and audacious and irresistible provide.

7. Abet possibilities consider whatsoever it may possibly be akin to to own whatever you market it

Paint a envisage. Aid possibilities consider their ideal "fill-in-the-bare". Walk them
via their day. What gets to variation for each other when they own and use your make or service

8. Future Pacing

This is an extra formula procedure where you paint a envisage. Take off along furthermore the business they are receiving correctly now that you can get to the bottom of. Afterward illustrate how by the use of your type or facility will carry each other from where they are "at a loss for words plus that problem", to how it will be for each other trailing the chase every time thats all subsequent to each other.

9. Sell the sensation of your make or package

We all discern that staff buy on emotion. So make definite youre merchandising on sentiment. Enter the articulation where your opening is at. Tap into how they believe regarding the affair you are running to answer and stir up that emotion. Then deliver your solution.

10. Jog her memory chances how they will glance and consider in front of their friends and family unit

Ruminate of the very last time you purchased a new car. Did you want to come into view it off We all required to impress. Its chap wildlife. So jog her memory your possibilities how they will gander and trust in front of their friends and relatives whenever they buy and use your type or package.

So put one or two or all of these scheme into your publicizing and I guarantee you that people will be a lot of additional energized with reference to what you tolerate to award. When youve got each other animated you can get each other to want to respond and carry behavior.


Regarding the Inventor

Quick feedback advertisement counsel Kathleen Ann is the "Advertisement Champion for Small Interest and entrepreneurs". Handing over straightforward way and gears you can use to increase sales and profits. Sign up for her free audio studio

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