Can Online Marketing Help Your Golf Instructor Business?

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

The tools available to any business through the Internet can help to reach a wider audience and improve sales. But when a golf instructor business starts looking for new clients online, there is a long list of possibilities that should be explored. Any golf instructor business can utilize the long reach of the Internet to expand its business and bring in more students.

Credibility

When people look for a golf instructor, they want one that is certified and experienced. It is difficult to put all of the necessary certification and experience information on a business card and it is expensive to print that information in a print directory. But a golf instructor can put his credentials online for everyone to find. A golf instructor can start posting information to blogs and websites and reference the link to his website that includes his teaching and playing credentials.

A golf instructor can also link his blog or website to the various teaching organizations he is certified with to improve his search results and add even more credibility to his business presence.

A Little Sample

Golf instructor businesses need to understand the tremendous power of online video hosting websites. It would be a good investment for a golf instructor to have a couple of short lessons professionally done on video, and then post those lessons on as many video hosting sites as possible. As you post your videos, make sure that you:

  • Only post videos that give a little sample of the lessons you offer. The point is to entice people to want to take lessons from you and not to give a full free course of golfing lessons online.
  • Make sure that you put the appropriate tags in each video so that they show up as strong results in the various search engines. Try to keep your tags short and use only 12 to 15 tags per video.
  • Be certain that every video has your business contact information in it. You can either put the contact information in the video description, or you can make sure that the videos all have the contact information as part of the content. Posting instructional videos with the intent of bringing in more clients that do not have contact information is a bad idea.

Guest Posts

Another way that golf instructors expand their audience and gain more Internet exposure is by being guest posters on other people’s blogs. You can join a network of blogs where everyone invites others to post as special guests. You would allow those people to post on your blog as well, which would help to increase your blog traffic. Your information is seen on other blogs by a wider audience and your blog benefits from enhanced exposure as well.

Go to http://www.timepicks.com  for more tips on helping your business.

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Growing Your Charter Business with an Online Scheduling Program

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

People who run charter businesses often find themselves away from the phone and away from their scheduling calendar. While the idea of having a website has become common in the charter industry, there are still a large number of companies that do not include online scheduling software on their websites. If you want to grow your charter business, then you need to have online scheduling software included as one of your online services.

Convenient For You and Your Clients

When a charter owner is out on his fishing boat or flying customers in his plane from one location to another, he does not have time to answer the phone and take down charter information. Many charter businesses run on a tight budget and find it difficult to hire office help. An online scheduling program will eliminate the problems that come up when it comes to running a charter business. Your clients will be able to look over your calendar and schedule their own charter and you do not have to stop what you are doing to write down scheduling information.

Your Best Administrative Tool

A charter business owner utilizes as many tools as he can get his hands on to help him run his business. An online scheduling tool becomes like that administrative assistant that a charter business owner needs but could not normally afford to have. The online scheduling tool can be where you send clients who are curious about your availability, want to see your hours of operation and want to schedule a charter in the future. It can be the best administrative tool your company ever had.

Growing Your Business

When a charter company uses an online scheduling tool, it becomes easier to see the growth of the company and the need for adding more charters. As your company becomes more successful, you will see your schedule fill up further out in advance. You will also start getting emails from people who want to use your business at a time when your online scheduling software says you are booked. As your business grows, your online scheduling software will let you know.

If you own a charter business of any kind, then you need online scheduling software to help you run your business. It will turn your website into an administrative assistant that does not take vacations. Your online scheduling software can also be your ticket to growing your business in a way that is comfortable for you.

Learn how to grow your business with online scheduling programs at http://www.timepicks.com.

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How Your Auto Mechanic Business Will Benefit From Online Scheduling

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

The entire consumer world is being taken over by the Internet, and that includes auto mechanics. The auto mechanics that choose to embrace the Internet are the ones that will expand their business and get more local referrals. One of the features that an auto mechanic’s website needs to include is an online scheduling feature. Even for the customers that are not sure what they need to have done to their cars, an online appointment function can be helpful.

Organizes Your Business

Some auto repairs are major jobs, and some are minor. When you allow people to schedule their own appointments, you can allow them to choose from a menu that includes standard actions such as an oil change or tire rotation. For more serious jobs, you can allow customers to choose a diagnostic appointment that will allow you time to answer all of their questions and diagnose the problem. This will help you to know exactly what customers are coming in for and can help you to keep your business organized.

Supplies

An auto mechanic’s shop requires a lot of different supplies to keep running such as oil, filters and parts. When you utilize an online scheduling function for your auto mechanic business, you can know in advance what supplies you will need for the coming week. It allows you to do a more accurate inventory and make sure that you always have the supplies on hand that your customers need and that you need to run your business.

Customer Convenience

Many of your customers know what kind of auto repair appointment they want. For them, it is just a matter of getting through on your phone line to make the appointment. When you have an online scheduling feature on your website, it prevents your regular customers from the hassle of having to wait on hold or waiting until your phone line is open to make an appointment. All your customers have to do is make the appointment online and then they can get on with their day.

Allocating Mechanics

In most auto mechanic shops, there are mechanics that are better at certain jobs than others. When you have an online scheduling function for your mechanic business, you can assign the right mechanics to each customer appointment and increase your level of customer service. You will also increase employee morale when you are able to match up each mechanic with the particular job that he is good at.

Visit http://www.timepicks.com to learn ways to improve your business with online scheduling.

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How Does Online Scheduling Minimize Customer No-Shows?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

When a business that relies on customer appointments tries to increase revenue, one of the first places it looks is at ways to cut down on customer no-shows. When customers make appointments and do not show, then the company loses money in the time it took to prepare for the appointment and it loses income because of the loss of a potential sale.

If you give customers the option of making their own appointments, then you increase the chances that the customer will show up. Utilizing online scheduling software not only increases revenue by cutting down on no-shows, but it also has other ways that it can improve the chances that a client will keep his scheduled appointment.

Convenience

When a client has to call into a business and make an appointment, the whole process can be extremely inconvenient. If the client gets through on the call without a busy signal, then she may have to wait on hold while the associate schedules other people for appointments. Another inconvenience customers run into with making phone appointments is they cannot see all of the appointment options that they have.

When you utilize online scheduling, the customer can go to your website whenever she wants and browse your available appointment times and dates. The customer can then schedule an appointment that is free of hassles and is at a time that she finds convenient.

The Emotional Commitment

An appointment that is made over the phone is almost like a business negotiation. The scheduler offers options and then those options are debated until a suitable arrangement is agreed upon. But in that kind of an exchange, the client does not build up any feeling of necessity when it comes to keeping the appointment. The client feels forced into the appointment and will keep the appointment if she can.

The use of an online appointment program allows clients to choose their own time and date. There is no pressure and that makes the client feel an emotional commitment to keeping that appointment. The client was not forced into the appointment and, therefore, she feels obliged to keep it.

Reminders

Even with a written schedule, your staff can forget to remind clients about upcoming appointments. When you use a scheduling program, the reminder emails can be sent out automatically and reliably. You can schedule a couple of reminder emails for each appointment that will make sure that clients do not forget their upcoming commitment.

Minimize no-show appointments with online scheduling at http://www.timepicks.com.

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Why Every In-Home Service Company Needs an Online Scheduling Program

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

In the days before the Internet, people would need to call the washing machine repair company to schedule a service call. Sometimes the phone would be busy, and other times there would be so many people calling in for appointments that the customer would have to wait on hold for a long time before getting an appointment scheduled.

These days, in-home repair organizations need to utilize an online scheduling program to help customers get the help they need. Not only is an online scheduling program convenient for the client, but it can also help the service company out as well.

The Online Reference Library

When a customer has his major appliance or computer break down, he wonders what is going wrong with his product. When the refrigerator breaks down at 1:00AM, there isn’t always someone at the repair shop to answer the phone and make an appointment. An online scheduling program will allow the customer to feel better knowing that he was able to make an appointment for a technician to come out the next morning, and the schedule program can also point the customer towards the company’s online reference library.

With the reference library, the company can give customers advice on how to handle the situation until the technician arrives. The website can also give general advice on how to troubleshoot issues and give customers an idea of what could be wrong.

The Right Tech for the Job

An online scheduling program can give customers a series of questions to answer that will help the company to determine which kind of tech to send out to the appointment. This will ensure that the right tech is sent out for the job and will help to improve the company’s customer service offering.

Parts Inventory

When technicians get appointments from a telephone call, they are not always supplied with enough information to determine what kind of parts they should take with them. When you use an online appointment making program for your in-house service business, you can give customers a short list of questions to answer that will let the technician know what parts to bring. When technicians get information in a consistent and organized fashion, then they are better equipped to handle customer issues.

Follow Up

An in-house service company wants to make sure that the technicians are doing a good job. An online appointment program can send out follow up emails after appointments are over to find out if there is anything the company can do to make the customer experience better.

Visit http://www.timepicks.com to learn how to provide the best customer service for your business with online scheduling programs.

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Utilizing Local Search Marketing to Increase Your Business

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

The Internet has become one of the most powerful marketing tools in history, but it still has a mystique that small business owners have a hard time with. When the Internet was first taking off, it became the way that people all over the world could use to stay in touch with each other and sell products. Because of its international reach, small businesses had a hard time envisioning the Internet as a mode of local marketing. That mystique is slowly going away and the local element of Internet search marketing is something your company should take advantage of.

There is a very good chance that your local customers are using the Internet to:

  • Search for the best pricing in the local area on specific products.
  • Using local terminology to find products they are familiar with.
  • Find new businesses to supply products or services.
  • Get information on new products and services.

When was the last time that you used the local phone book to look up a vendor or local business? The chances are very good that you do much of your phone number and business searching on the Internet because it is fast and efficient. If you are using the Internet to find business information, then so is your local customer base.

One of the great advantages local search marketing gives a business is the ability to utilize local terminology to quickly reach local customers. For example, a sandwich shop that is located in an area where submarine sandwiches are referred to as hoagies would be able to get his website seen in local search results ahead of shops that do not utilize that local terminology. When you use the Internet to market your business to local customers, you can speak the same language your customers do to get better results.

Local search marketing can also be enhanced by the contact you have with your clients every day. If you are a retail sales business and you have been told by a large number of your clients about a popular new product that your competition is selling, then you can bring in that product and then create a local search marketing campaign to announce the new product in your store. That kind of speed and market exposure is almost impossible with a newspaper or any other kind of marketing vehicle. That is why every business needs to become proficient at utilizing the Internet to expand its local customer base.

See how http://www.timepicks.com can increase your business.

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The Elements of a Good Local Internet Marketing Campaign

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

Your local customers are looking up information for their next purchase online just like your customers all over the country are doing. Smart small business owners are utilizing local Internet marketing to increase foot traffic into their locations and expand revenue. When you are developing a local Internet marketing campaign, there are a few things you need to keep in mind that can be used to your advantage.

Local Lingo

Every region has its own way of communicating. In New York State, some people call soft drinks “soda” while others refer to it as “pop.” The significance of this is that people searching the Internet for local businesses will use the local lingo out of habit. If someone who uses the word “pop” searches for soft drink suppliers online, then the companies using the word “soda” will not show up in the search results. Use the local lingo to your advantage and get your company to show up before the national companies in local search engine results.

Directions

If you travel the country, then you know that people in different regions give driving directions in different ways. Some people give very specific directions, while others tend to use generalities and landmarks. As with local lingo, the ability to properly guide your customers to your business using the local way of giving directions is critical. When you speak in a language that your target audience understands, then you will be able to attract more people for your business.

Pricing

When you live and work in an area, you become familiar with what is important to the people you are marketing to. For example, a national office supply chain may try to use low prices on printer ink cartridges to attract more local clients, but you know that your local customers care more about inexpensive paper. When it comes to pricing, you need to use every advantage you have to get people to pay attention to your business. If you are marketing your company on the Internet, you know what the local consumers are looking for with pricing and special promotions. That is information you can use to your advantage.

Networking

Local businesses that team up and develop local Internet marketing content together can often cover more ground than companies working on their own. For example, if a stereo store and a CD retailer work together to create an effective blog, then they are covering more of that market and will see an increase in relevant results. Find local complimentary businesses to develop an Internet marketing program with to enhance your sales results.

Visit http://www.timepicks.com to learn more about ways to help your business.

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Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Using Online Scheduling

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

The Internet allows for a lot of different conveniences that businesses never had before. One of the tools businesses use on the Internet is online scheduling. But as intuitive and Internet programs can be, there are still mistakes people make when using online scheduling software that can be avoided.

Notifications

You can import email lists and create master distribution lists for your online scheduling software, but you still have to tell the program who gets your notifications. Always remember to create a list of notifications that need to be sent out with each scheduling event you create so that the proper people know the event is happening.

RSVPs

The good online scheduling software allows for easy and convenient RSVP notifications from each of the invited guests. This helps you to plan your meeting better and it also helps you to get meeting materials to the people that will be attending. The mistake is that too many business people forget to enable RVPS or forget to gather RSVPs as they come in. Utilize RSVPs to run a more organized event.

In Sync

Online scheduling software becomes even more powerful when you sync it up with your smartphone or your tablet. The problem is that many business people forget to ask about apps for their mobile computing devices that will help them to see their schedule wherever they go. Never assume that Internet access on your smartphone means you will be able to see your schedule. Download the app and make sure you stay in touch with your schedule in real time.

Additional Features

Your online scheduling software can do so much more than just schedule your important events. It can also help you to build a comprehensive contact list for all of your business associates, help you to group your contacts into manageable groups and allow you to send out messages intended for specific parts of your contact list. When you sign up for online scheduling software, take the time to review all of its features.

Personal Scheduling

One of the biggest mistakes people make with online scheduling software is they forget to schedule all of their important personal events on it as well. In order to be able to service your customers properly and maintain your personal life, you will need to have one schedule that helps you balance the two. Online scheduling software allows you to keep track of all of those important meetings and events, regardless as to whether they are personal or business.

Learn how to use online scheduling at http://www.timepicks.com.

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Ways That You Can Make Online Scheduling a Success for Your Business

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

Online scheduling is a service that your small business can use to help enhance the hard work you are doing to increase revenue. Look for a scheduling service that offers a variety of sharing and online features to help you get the most from your online scheduling. There are several ways that businesses can utilize online scheduling to help improve customer awareness and to increase business efficiency.

Scheduling Product Releases

A good online scheduling service will allow you add as many people as you would like to your calendar updates, and you will also be able to segment your lists and send out specific calendar updates to groups of recipients. You can offer customers the option of signing up for calendar updates that announce new product releases or feature upgrades to current products. This will help you to increase the initial sales of new products and give customers the feeling that they are in your company’s inner circle.

Appointment Efficiency

A busy small business owner can find himself with a full calendar of events and meetings that can sometimes get confusing. An online calendar is available at all times and allows the small business owner to track his appointments and set meeting reminders that he can get on his tablet or smartphone. Prior to having an online scheduling program, a small business owner had to be at his desk in front of his computer to get reminded about an appointment. With Internet access across a variety of mobile platforms, he can now see his appointments anytime he wants.

More Effective Meetings

Most of your customers, vendors and business partners are already utilizing several tools on the Internet. When a small business owner uses an online scheduling software that connects to popular programs such as Outlook, then he can connect to all of his potential meeting attendees and create more effective meetings. With a good online scheduling program, attendees cannot complain that they did not know when a meeting was happening or did not get the agenda in advance.

Internal Business Functionality

Online scheduling software can become just as effective at organizing internal company functions as it is at helping the company to stay connected to vendors and customers. A small business is a dynamic place where there is a lot going on. You can get more out of your staff if you are able to schedule effective meetings and know where everyone is at all times. This can also help you to organize activities for staff members who are on the road at trade shows or client presentations.

Visit http://www.timepicks.com to see how to make your business a success with online scheduling.

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Getting More Patients for Your Alternative Health Business

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Online Scheduling Team

The Internet can be a valuable tool for people who want to bring more attention to their alternative health business. Networking online can allow an alternative health professional to:

  • Dispel the rumors about alternative medicine and replace them with facts.
  • Interact directly with people who have an interest in alternative health.
  • Link patients with other online resources that will help them to get the information they need.
  • Give your alternative health business credibility by linking it to other respected medical websites.

Every alternative health business needs to have a blog to help address the common concerns of potential patients. A blog is where an alternative health professional can post articles that give the truth about alternative medicine and help to counteract the rumors that people hear from unreliable sources. You can also invite people to leave you messages and interact on your blog, which will give you new questions to answer and new ways to help people to understand alternative health. One of the biggest obstacles for any alternative health business is the common misconceptions people have about alternative treatments. A blog can help to give the facts and put the rumors to rest.

Another way that alternative health professionals can reach out to prospective patients is through the social media. The Internet is filled with contradicting information about alternative treatments, and a social media presence is a great way to address the concerns of prospective patients one at a time. In the process of addressing each patient’s concerns, you will be answering questions for others that choose not to post their questions on your social media pages.

There are many different reputable alternative health publications and organizations online that you can get your company linked to for added credibility. Research the certifications and reputable publications for your alternative health discipline, and get your company involved with these organizations. Not only does it add more credibility to your organization, but it also gives you access to a wider online audience when marketing your company.

Networking your alternative health business with reputable companies and getting your company involved in directly answering patients’ questions is critical to your success. You can take full advantage of the interactive nature of the Internet to help expand your customer base and combat the misconceptions that cause some people to avoid utilizing alternative health procedures. Over time, your company can become a valuable online resource for people looking for reliable information on alternative health.

Go to http://www.timepicks.com to learn how to increase business flow.

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