One particular educational seminar I am looking forward to attending will focus on the effective use iPad tablet computers for manufacturers and representatives, sponsored by Web4Retail. It has been a privilege to check out some of Web4Retail’s webinars; and now that more manufacturers are looking to tablet computers to display product photos, it seems it is time to take a serious look at this technological tool. Going digital makes sense, especially for manufacturers, as a way to  cut costs and increase efficiency. Just another example of the transformations our industry is undertaking.

Las Vegas here we come! Travel safely.

TIP:  Even if you “Removed” your information pages from Spokeo.com, as I recommended last July, you might find it has popped up again. My advice is to read/re-read through my previous post and set up Google Alerts to notify you anytime your name appears on the Internet. It is my experience that many of the notices will not be related to me, however I greatly appreciate receiving those occasional messages that do contain information about me so I can take action whenever necessary. Deleting irrelevant notices is a small price to pay for the added insurance I will be notified of pertinent posts I would not be able to find easily on my own.

What other tips can you offer to stay safe and maintain privacy on the Internet?

According to Mr. Vaynerchuk, too many businesses are looking at the short-term ROI (return on investment) with regard to the Internet and particularly Social Media. ”Don’t treat it like a one-night stand,” he told entrepreneurs at the 2011 Inc. 500 | 500 Conference in Washington, D.C. His advice is to go slow and develop relationships first within your social media platforms.

He further explains:

When businesses first started exploring the Web, they didn’t see immediate monetization either. Now, it’s unimaginable to stay offline. E-commerce has taken off. Customers got over their fear of inputting their credit card numbers into a computer. Social-media marketing’s monetization will come, too, he says. “People don’t want to embrace culture shifts because it’s not going to happen in the next 20 minutes,”…

“When I hear people debate the ROI of social media? It makes me remember why so many business fail,” Vaynerchuk says. “Most businesses are not playing the marathon. They’re playing the sprint. They’re not worried about lifetime value and retention. They’re worried about short-term goals.”

So what should you be doing? Think long term, and consider how you can earn life-long customers.

At the risk of being redundant, I have to concur based on what I am seeing and hearing from dealers. Those who have a dynamic presence on the Internet with an efficient and effective website and also are accessible to their customers through a variety of methods (search engines, maps, social media, etc) are finding greater success than those who are not on board with the new ways of business.

What are your strategies to build ”lifetime value” for your customers, with an eye to ultimately help your business retain loyalty in this expanding world where personal attention is once again important.

Are you planning on creating a Resolutions List this year?

Smart Phones: The Distraction Factor

Marketing Tip: Habitat for Humanity

Setting up a Storefront on Facebook

We Have Come a Long Way Baby

Expand Marketing with “Made in the USA”

The top single post with the most viewers was “A Day Made of Glass: Corning’s Vision”

In case you didn’t realise,  the sidebar on the right hand side of my blog has options for searching through specific months, or topics of past posts. Which Carrie’s Corner posts, or topics, have you found most helpful?

Wishing you and yours a very enjoyable and safe New Year’s weekend

For those who are getting new tablet computers, here is a helpful link with ways to enhance the functionality of your new toy, “How to Turn Your Tablet into an Awesome Productivity-Boosting Second Screen” by Lifehacker.

Thank you!

Next, I try to find businesses using Google Maps. It is a great way to pinpoint a specific area and scan around the map looking for more gold stars indicating locations of similar businesses I am searching for. Imagine my surprise, when it becomes apparent very few businesses are showing up where I know they exist. How can this be? Especially for small businesses. All I can say to each and every retail establishment, “Go directly to Google Places and get your business listed for FREE.” Here are some links to read up on the services, in order to help you get started:

(1) Google Places for Business–Benefits

(2) Google Maps–How to search for businesses.

Do not delay in listing your business, do it right now. How can you go wrong? Once you set it up, you are pretty much done. No frequent updating, like other Internet services (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) require. Again, the price is right for this powerful marketing tool=FREE.

What other quick and easy marketing tools do you use to advertise your business?

Retailers and manufacturers should certainly be aware of, and constantly monitor, the new tools consumers are using to compare prices. Here is an interesting article I just came across which might prove helpful called, “Five free comparison-shopping smartphone apps” by Katherine Murray.

Rather than being threatened by this new technology trend, I would recommend retailers jump in and find ways to get their stores and products registered with as many Internet shopping service companies as possible. What are your thoughts?

Along with the prevalence of touch screen cell phones like the Android and iPhone, sales of tablet computers are mushrooming. Basically, tablet computers like the iPad, are essentially large touchscreen smartphones. This means they will have some of the same benefits and risks.

Lately, many manufacturers are announcing their intent to move away from providing hard copy glossy photos, and will instead provide iPad and Android friendly digital photos to their sales teams. It is indeed a new day.

Check out this article on how to protect mobile smart phones from viruses and malware: “10 ways to combat the threat of mobile malware“, by Ben Conner. Also, check out the excellent advice for Android users, “Lookout provides security and antivirus for your Android phone“, by Michael Kassner.

What are your thoughts about the move from hard copy photos and catalogs to digital versions presented on tablet computers, Internet websites, etc?