Archive for the ‘Tips Hacking and Reviews’ category

The Simplest Way To Find Something To Sell

February 15th, 2010

A question I get asked a lot is, “What is the simplest way to find a good product or service to sell?” Well, there is no “simple” way to come up with something that one can both believe in and convince others to believe in enough to buy it. There have been many great products that have sold poorly, and just as many impractical or inferior products have flown off the shelves . There is no sure-fire way to test whether a product will be successful, no matter how much you believe in it. The only way you are ever going to learn whether a product is going to sell is by jumping in and selling it.

Running studies to test out whether a product will succeed is not a novel idea. People give away products as gifts, or even (in the extreme internet case) sell things on eBay to figure out what markets well. Introducing a new product or service into any market is hard and downright scary – most people want some kind of assurance that they will be successful. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to get any amount of reasonable and reliable “assurance”. A product or service may test just fine, but run into problems in the real world when competing with something of equal or lesser quality that simply seems better because of how it is being marketed. The best marketed product often is the highest-selling product, whether it is superior in function or not.

One may think that introducing a new and unique product may guarantee success. This works only sometimes. As certain as you may be that a new product is exactly what people need, new concepts or products can backfire on you. If a great new product comes to the market, and people have nothing like it to compare it to, sales typically do not take off until a later version or a competitor’s version has come along. This is counter-intuitive, but it is how people make shopping decisions – they want to make the best choice, and to do so, there need to have choices.

If a product or service does not sell well at first, you have options. First, do not be afraid to slightly alter what you are offering. Slight alterations provide one way to repackage a product as a new, different product. You must also consider presenting it in a new way. A different marketing campaign, the addition of incentives and targeting consumers in subtle ways are all viable ways to boost sales if they might be lagging. You may also try and ask your customers and fans about what to do next. This can be through surveys, polls, and even services like SitePal.

Remember that anyone can sell anything. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.

How To Monitor Your Brand Online For Free

February 5th, 2010

Monitoring what people say about your business online is very important. Everyone and anyone can talk about your business on their blogs, twitter or facebook. However, the very nature of the internet means that what people say about you online can reach millions of people in a few weeks, a few days, or even a few minutes! What if a disgruntled customer talks ill of you and suddenly millions of people hate your business? You need to monitor what people say about you so that you can understand how people view your business and respond to what people say. This is called online reputation management (ORM).

A common challenge for businesses seeking to do ORM is that the internet is too large and it would not be feasible to effectively monitor everything at an unacceptable cost. Well, that used to be true. Today, though, you can monitor your brand very effectively, for free. Watch the video below to learn more.

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The strategy is based around using online tools to generate real-time feeds which you can monitor from one central location, Google reader. (You can use any other feed reader).

If you need help or any clarifications feel free to leave a comment below. Good luck.

So, You Want To Start A Business?

January 30th, 2010

Here is a nice (long) video in which Mr Edward Hess talks about starting a business. He starts out talking with the most common causes of start up failure and ends with taking questions from the audience. The whole talk is filled with interesting and insightful comments by Mr Hess.

Throughout the talk, he stresses one thing: why would a customer want to buy from you? He says that you have to look at this question and answer it realistically. I’ve had the good fortune to start a few businesses and I have to admit that figuring out why people will give you their money is probably the best thing you can do for your business.

Please watch the video:

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What do you think?

Unique Selling Point (USP)

January 21st, 2010

Someone pointed out this article (Build An Online Shop You Can Be Proud Of) from last year. I read through it and decided it is worth it to not only link to it, but talk again about one topic that it touched on.

If you talk to any marketer, she shall tell you that it is very important to establish a USP for your business. A unique selling point is something that differentiates you from your competition. Why should I buy watches from you and not from the shop down the street? Is it because you are cheaper; is it because your watches are better; or is it because you have painted your shop all pink? Whatever the reason, that’s your USP. But of course everyone already knows that they need a USP.

Having a USP can also be pretty good for marketing your website online. Suppose you have an online business. It is very important to make it very clear why customers should choose you over other online businesses (i.e you need a USP). Since your USP is something that attracts customers, it is reasonable to assume that there are people out there looking for exactly what you offer. Once you make your USP crystal clear, you can create additional web pages or blog posts to demonstrate this USP further. This will work to not only make your USP more ‘visible’ but the additional blog posts/web pages should rank well in the search engines (because people are looking for what you offer, for your USP). This simple strategy thus ensures that: a) you make your USP stronger and b) you attract more visitors to your site.

What do you think?

Why is SEO Important?

January 18th, 2010

Search engine optimisation (SEO) may be the most important way to market your website/business online. This is because, currently, over 80% of all online traffic is achieved through the various search engines. A good ranking for a popular search term (keyword) can bring you thousands of visitors a day.

Today’s search engines operate a lot like the telephone directories of generations past, only on a much larger scale. Through just a simple search on Google, one is able to find thousands of businesses. The scale of it all means that it can be difficult for one to compete with all the competition. A business that relies on the internet to get customers, or hopes to do so, must think about how to ensure that they can be found easily through the various search engines. This is why SEO is that important.

The good news is that the overwhelming majority of Kenyan websites have largely ignored SEO completely. One wonders why…. This means that an opportunity exists for local online entrepreneurs to quickly outmatch all or most of their competitors. A small business in the offline world can suddenly become the leader in the online realm. I do not know how much longer most Kenyans will ignore SEO but as long as Kenyan web designers know only how to make beautiful sites (and not how to make them work and succeed), then even the simplest application of SEO principles will mean that everyone can compete with the ‘big boys’. Everyone can become a big boy, even if only online. Nice, eh?

In more developed countries where the internet is much bigger, SEO is damn expensive, and competitive – because everyone is doing it. But here, it is still relatively easy to rise up the search engine rankings. You do not even have to spend any money.

We recently reported that Like Chapaa had achieved some SEO success. This really boosted our visitor numbers. At that time we were ranking 5th for the search term, “make money in Kenya“. Now, we are ranked second, as you can see below. It is interesting to note that we have not actually spent any money on SEO – our rise has been totally ‘organic’.

Like Chapaa on the Google gravy train. Click for a larger view.

Moving from 5th to 2nd has had an almost unbelievable impact on the number of visitors that we get to this website. You’d think that the effect would be linear but it not even close to linear – our visitor numbers have just shot up exponentially! This makes me think of something I once read concerning the law of accelerating returns as applied to SEO: if you rank number #1 for any search term, you get as much as approximately 10 times more visitors than the #2 rank, who gets as much as ten times more than what the #3 ranked site gets, and so on. Sounds crazy? I thought so too, many moons ago, but now I believe that this theory may, in fact, be reality.

What’s the lesson here? Don’t you dare ignore SEO. In fact, if you are looking to carry out any sort of online marketing campaign then you better think hard about making SEO the center and main focal point of your efforts. At the very least, it is cheaper than anything else and usually it has the highest and longest last yield.

What do you think? We love getting feedback. :)

Stealth Mode?

December 24th, 2009

Sometimes I get a lot of emails from people wishing to start a new business or website. One thing that I almost always get from these nice people is that they want me to assure them of absolute secrecy regarding their project. They are afraid that if other people hear about it, then their idea will be stolen.

But is that really true? The sad fact is that no one really cares about your idea anyway. And I speak this from experience – we’ve been involved in a whole lot of projects and the level of secrecy surrounding a project does not affect its success in the least. In fact, the more secrecy there is, the less your chances of success. I bet some of you never thought about it that way, ama? This is especially true if your project involves a lot of technology.

Why? Because high technology start-ups are very very much shaped by and demand a lot of user feedback. You cannot build a perfect project while tucked away in your basement – you need people to continually test it and give feedback so that your product ‘evolves’ into something that is just perfect for your target market. This is the plain truth, dear readers.

Please have a look at: Stealth Startups, Get Over Yourselves: Nobody Cares About Your Secrets by TechCrunch.

What do you think of all this?

How To Get Out Of Debt

December 11th, 2009

Q: My query was is there a way i can get back to my finacial freedom after i took a loan with Barclays bank and currently paying through the nose with the big interest.also this has lead me to bad credit and i am always in a debit account so getting a top up is impossible.please advise. thanks

As I see it, there is no set path to come out of debt, everyone’s case is different. They key is proper financial management. If one has good money managing habits, they can theoretically get out of debt with ease.

There are two paths here:

  1. Income + Borrowing + Spending both = DEBT
  2. Income + Saving + Investment = WEALTH

Unfortunately, many many people follow the fist path. It is not fair to blame them though – we are only human and our wants can sometimes take control of our emotions and end up in us making wrong financial/money decisions….

So how does one go about getting out of debt? Here’s one plan. Kindly note that it is not the only way and there may be better methods out there.

First, take a piece of paper and list down all your sources of income (things that put money in your pocket every month). Next, list all your expenses (things that take money out of your pocket), including what you need to pay every month to service your loan(s).

If the total income is higher than the expenses, that’s super! Otherwise, you are in the red and things will only get worse unless you take control now. But how? First, do not get any further into debt!

Next, You MUST reduce your expenses (or increase your income!) so that you can comfortably pay your bills every month without accumulating more debt. Try your best and cut down on everything that is not an absolute necessity – make sure that you only pay what you absolutely MUST pay. If you can move somewhere where the rent is cheaper, do so; if you can cut down on your monthly bills, do so; if you spend money on anything that you don’t need to survive, stop that. Cut down your expenses brutally.

Doing this will make you able to service your loan. If, after you reduce your expenses, you find that your income is now higher than your expenses, put the surplus into paying off your debt. In fact, pour any spare money into the repayment of the debt. Think of the debt as a drain on your money – if you pay it off, you will have money to spend on other things. Put all your disposable income into paying off the debt until it is gone. If you have a savings account with money – consider using it to pay off your debt. Think of it this way: why earn 1 – 5% interest on your savings account when you have a loan that you pay at 18%? Use your savings to reduce the debt.

If you have more than one debt/loan that you need to pay, then you need to list them down and compare them. Which has the highest interest rate? Pay that one off first. You can do this: pay the minimum amount on the other debts/loans while focusing the rest of your money on the one with higher interest. Once you finish it off, move to the next highest interest rate debt/loan. Keep doing this until you pay off all your debt.

And when it is gone, then follow path two – which leads to wealth.

Basically, do as much as possible to acquire Assets while avoiding Liabilities. We can define assets as things that put money into your pocket and Liabilities as things that take money out of your pocket. For example, unless your are a taxi driver, buying a car is, in effect, buying a liability . Imagine that – who ever goes out of her way to buy a liability?

Income + Saving + Investment = WEALTH

Photo courtesy of alancleaver_2000.

Form A Kenyan Company

December 1st, 2009

Last week, I called out for help in making business registration easier in Kenya. I got a lot of responses (thanks!!!). Interestingly, a lot of these responses simply just pointed me to this website: formAKenyanCompany.

The site says this about itself:

formAKenyanCompany.com is an online specialist in limited company formation covering everything necessary to facilitate the formation and/or registration of a company in Kenya . All types of Kenyan company formation can be catered for and everything necessary to set up a limited company in the Kenya, including filing and all required documents, including the memorandum and articles of association are provided. Our automated on-line formation is quick, simple and affordable enabling the immediate check of company names with the Company Registry. All formations are done electronically with our incorporation system and delivered manually to the respective government offices. All costs include all necessary documents and filing fees at Sheria House and the company formation process is usually complete within 7 days.

Nice, isn’t it? Do check it out!

Laughs From Google

November 25th, 2009


Google’s autocomplete feature for searches can be pretty useful when you’re looking for a common search term. Hey, neat! You don’t have to type the whole thing! Sometimes, though, Google’s suggestions take a turn for the hilarious or just plain weird. A site called Autocomplete Me collects some of the strangest ones for your amusement. Admittedly, some of these might be offensive, so viewer discretion is advised.

Did you notice that Google introduced an autocomplete feature? It’s pretty nice, you don’t have to type so much – Google offers you suggestions that are often very relevant and useful. Sometimes, though, Google’s suggestions are Bizarre. A site called Autocompleteme collects the most bizarre and hilarious ones for your enjoyment. (Some may be offensive, be advised.)

An Online Strategy For Companies in Kenya

November 24th, 2009

This one is from a while back. Someone asked me:

My question to you is, what do you think should be the online strategy for a tour company in Kenya and how should they approach it and what tools should they apply?

Here’s my response:

What would be a good online strategy for a tour company in Kenya? This is an interesting challenge. So let’s see, what I would do is launch an elegant website that is intuitive to use and stylish (web2.0-ish also). I’m assuming this site will have some sort of ‘place’ (a shopping cart, online booking form etc) where a sale needs to be made – focus on this. Make the buying/ordering process easy to use for even a passing browser. And the sales copy around it has to be absolutely well done. If need be, hire professional copywriters for this one page (menwithpens or Kenyan Freelancer come to mind). You do this to make sure that your site doesn’t suck at selling.

Now, in my mind, the target visitors of this site are not in Kenya. True? So you need to find how to reach them. I would include a blog with the website. You can talk honestly and with a personal voice (no corporate-speak) about Kenya, and why it’s such a great country. I’m sure there are tons of things that your blog can talk about.

How to get visitors? I like the organic way – make a remarkable site and blog and then apply SEO VERY well (the works: link building, directory submissions etc). Also, since your visitors are not from Kenya, it should be easy to find out where they hang out – other travel blogs, forums, etc. Go there and join those conversations and, by all means, get noticed. But be subtle.

To complement this sort of ‘organic’ strategy, also carry out a PPC advertising campaign (with Adsense or YPN). This will get some visitors and some sales (if you did your sales copy well). I don’t like extended PPC campaigns so probably you should phase this out as the organic traffic rises – unless your returns on the advertising are very good.

As you get visitors to the site, have some way to opt in visitors into an email marketing campaign. Use mailchimp (by my experience they rock!) to provide your auto responder software/services. Don’t spend too much money on this – people sometimes go crazy – just a basic Mailchimp account will do (they even have a free offering). Be creative in how you get people to join your email list (NEVER buy email addresses). Perhaps you could offer free Swahili lessons via email, or an amazing free video of unseen Kenyan delights. But I’m sure there’s no shortage of creativity on your end.

I think if you do this, you’ll have a good strong start. I doubt many other Kenyan sites have done this well. ;)

To recap:

  • Build an elegant site. Let is be super easy to use.
  • Do your sales copy excellently.
  • SEO everything.
  • Market the site by authentically joining the conversation on other travel blogs, forums and other sites.
  • Carry out a PPC campaign and consider stopping it (or slowing down) when there is enough organic traffic.
  • Create an email marketing campaign.

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I had not mentioned a social network strategy (Facebook, twitter, etc). I’ll work on that and post it here soon. Stay tuned. Got questions? I have answers! :)