Blog Marketing Singapore – Business Blogging Optimization Strategies

Today is the last day of June, and this marks the first half of 2009 gone. And I’m glad to say I’m thrilled at the level of my business today, compared to what it was at the beginning of the year. No, I’m no millionaire yet, but enough projects to keep me very busy, hence the slack in posting here

The point is, over the course of this half a year, I’ve have the luxury to work with no fewer than 20 different websites (some to a smaller extent), and these websites are hosted all across the globe. So I’ve interfaced with so these web hosting companies – their backend admin panels, ease of use, technical support and things like that.

Some of them were slow, and some have superb access speeds. Some were a breeze to handle, while others are really nutcases that really almost drove me crazy with technical support answers that go off the point for weeks without resolving the issue.

So having this experience, I really want to emphasise on this – getting a good webhosting provider from day ONE.

Web Hosting for Internet Businesses

If you had to open a retail shop, would you choose an cheap rental area that is frequented by gangsters who would come in and smash your items, causing you to have to close your shop once every 2 days, or would you prefer to select a expensive storefront right in the middle of town where you can get great traffic?

The answer is obvious. You can’t compare retail shop rental rates just by the meter. You need to know where the shop is, and what are the consequences of having your shop in that area.

Well, I’ve found the same would go for web hosting. No two web hosting a companies are alike, and even though they may give you the exact specifications in terms of web space, bandwidth, databases, email addresses and add on domains, they are different.

Basically, you pay for what you get. Pay peanuts, and you get monkeys.

One of my friends I’m working with happened to start on the “peanuts” web hosting plan years back when she first started her business. Of course, she didn’t know it then. I didn’t know too, because it was a provider I’ve not heard of at that time.

So when we started on the project, she gave me her login details and everything, so I could get direct access to her site.

Here is how bad your experience can get.

1. I’ve tried to work on her site for about 8 occasions now, since we started about a month ago, and on almost every occassion, I experienced a server downtime of at least 10-15 minutes. Today, its been down for over 2 hours already (that’s what triggered this post!)
2. I’ve been corresponding with their technical support for help on an unusual .htaccess issue – its been 2 weeks and 8 emails to and from them, but I’ve not got a good response. Different people handled my email every single time I replied, and none of them resolved the question directly.

And when I tried to log in to their web admin panel today, I got this:

So, this is it. I’m getting my friend to switch to another provider.

Here’s what to look out for when selecting a web hosting provider

1. Real Reviews

Go on to forums like Web Hosting Talk, where you can get real reviews and comments from people who are using the provider you are considering. Many web hosting providers provide affiliate programs, so be wary of reviews that have “affiliate intentions”.

2. Peanuts are for Monkeys

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Getting a web server, bandwidth and web space cost money. Think about this. If the web host doesn’t charge you enough, how do they pay for their servers? If you’ve got a “awesome deal” to have unlimited sites for $1.99 a month, you better be prepared for monkey service and support.

3. Know the specifications

If you are serious about your web business, ask and compare server specifications. A Pentium 286 web hosting server running off a guy’s garage is definitely going to bring a different experience to one running in a datacenter. Ask about location, CPUs, allocated memory and bandwidth.

4. Test their support

When you have decided on a provider. Take the 1 month plan (don’t commit to 6 – 12 months unless you are confident of the services), and as soon as you get your account, test out their response time for support emails. If they take more than 36 hours to get back, it is time for you to get another provider.

What do I recommend?

Personally I use Hostgator on many of my domains and Singapore Web Hosting for domains I want hosted in Singapore.

I stick to these two providers because I have experienced good support so far, and good server uptime on my reseller accounts. But don’t take my word for it, go do your own research and get a good host.

Remember, if you are operating an Internet business, your website is your retail shop. Don’t scrimp on it. In fact, pay them well so they can give you a peace of mind.

Tags: hostgator, singapore web hosting, web-hosting

The PC Show in Singapore is now on at Suntec City! It has in fact started yesterday, from 11th – 14th June 2009, 12pm to 9pm.

Unfortunately, because of my hectic schedule this time round, I’m gonna give it a miss.

According to the press release, this time, there is also a “Lucky Purchaser’s Draw” – stand chances to win $10,000 and other prizes like LCD televisions, camcorders and MP3 players with every $50 spent!

So have the effects of the downturn in economy sunken into Singaporeans? I think not! Yesterday’s CNA news still reported thousands of bargain hunters chionging to Suntec city before the gates are open for the best deals!

But I think its good for me to stay away, keep my money and save it for my iMac at the end of this year!

Over on Smashing Apps a few days ago, they introduced a new photo sharing site – Expono.

Immediately, my thoughts where “Gosh, another online photo album and sharing site?”

Photo Credit: rs-foto

Online services like photo sharing sites, microblogs, social networking sites, emails… all have a “sink in” effect. That means, the more you use it, the more valuable it becomes to you.

Let’s take this online photo example. I’ve already spent days uploading and renaming my photos on my Flickr account (thanks Shi for the coupon!)

And while I won’t say that it is a whole lot of photos compared to many other users, I would like to keep my photos in ONE place online, and it feels to me like a lot of work to get on Expono and re-upload the photos (or even import photos from Flickr, if that is possible).

Besides, I like my Flickr account because it has great support (in terms of tools, and linkages from other programs). So unless Expono promises something really revolutionary, I guess I’ll be sticking to Flickr. Even if it costs more or has less features. Similarly, I won’t be attempting to rebuild my Twitter network in Plurk, and nothing is going to make me drop my Gmail and start my messaging in something else.

I’m sunk in. Very sunk in. And its a scary thing if you think about it. If Gmail starts to charge $10 a month for their services, or Flickr raises its pro account price to $249.50 instead of $24.95.

But think about this when you launch you next online service. How do you justify for the switching cost? How do you get people sunk in into your competitor’s products to switch to yours?

Maybe getting people to switch to your product is not that easy, afterall.

Tags: expono, flickr, sunk in costs, switching costs

Botak Jones has arrived in the coffee shop in my neighborhood. I’ve never tasted their food before, but today I tried their Caesar Chicken Salad.

It costed me $10, when a good bowl of prawn noodles, or a filling plate of rice with mixed vegetables and meat in the stall next to it would cost me $3.50, at max. On average, their set meals would cost $13, when similar western set meals sold in the vincinity would cost $6. Yet I see school kids lining up by the troves to order from Botak Jones.

There is something they did which the other stalls didn’t.

No, its not about franchising or setting up branches. Its how they put it – “Damn Good Food at A Damn Good Price”. The salad was really nice, and it was filling.

And there was actually great customer service. This was the first time I’ve ever been told in a neighborhood coffee shop “If there is anything you need, just let me know”.

Now, that is something remarkable to exist in a coffeeshop. Had they set up their own outlets as restaurants, it would have been normal.

Great work!

Tags: botak jones

Photo Credit: wili_hybrid

This recent months, I’ve been to Kuala Lumpur on business a number of times. Everytime I make a trip to KL, I would have appointments, and I have pockets of time between appointments where I am free to roam around, or choose to sit down in a cafe and work.

Not being much of a shopper, I tend to spend more time in front of my computer in a cafe. I’ve been scouting around for the best “camping ground” where I can sit and work.

So, there is Coffee Bean and there is Starbucks. Both provide free wireless Internet access. Let’s talk about Coffee Bean first.

Coffee Bean: Buy from us and get Internet access

In Coffee Bean cafes, they have secured their wireless network.

In order to access the Internet, I will have to ask the counter staff for a username and password. Most of the time, there was also no power supply points, and I’d have to dim my laptop screen and squint my eyes at the display.

My supposition is of Coffee Bean’s perspective in providing wireless access is “This is a Coffee Place, if you buy a drink from us and ask for the Internet access, we will let you have it, but don’t work for too long, because this is a COFFEE place, not your workplace.”

Starbucks: Free Internet Access, No Strings Attached

Photo Credit: Al-Hayat

Starbucks, on the other hand, has an unsecured network and you can just get connected easily. So technically, you could sit in the cafe next door and tap on Starbucks’ wireless access. When you access the network, you are shown an quick video ad, which you can choose to skip after a few seconds.

I can also easily find tables where power supply is available, and I don’t worry about expending my battery.

My feel of Starbucks’ take on Internet access is “This is a coffee place, and a place for you to hang out and chill, work, with free Internet access for you to enjoy. While you do so, get some coffee to go with.”

The Difference

Of my six trips so far, I’ve been to Coffee Bean twice. Once I knew how easy it is for me to get online in Starbucks, I never stepped into Coffee Bean again.

And while I have spent hours and hours in Starbucks, I’m not surfing all the time, and neither am I always hungry for a power socket. But I’ve had a lot of my meals there – trying out their variety of delicious sandwiches and awesome coffee. When I make arrangements to meet my clients, I ask that we meet at Starbucks, because there is convenient Internet access and power supply.

So as far as having me as a customer, Starbucks has been a lot more profitable.

Why do I bring this up?

Coffee Bean assumed that “people will steal our bandwidth if we don’t secure it”. They were selling coffee first, ambience second.

Starbucks didn’t. Starbucks knew there were people like me who are dying for free Internet access and power supply, and they gave it to me. They obviously knew that a key motivation for people to sit in coffee places is an environment to hang out, and they’ve perfected that experience for the customer.

Frankly, even if they charged RM5 more per cup of coffee, I’d still have stuck to Starbucks.

Give away things for FREE

Giving things away for free can make a difference… sometime a huge difference. In many cases, the more you give out for free, the more you will get back as loyal happy customers.

This post was writtin with a dimly lit screen at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. My battery is running low now, and while there are several cafes in KLIA, I haven’t found one with power supply.

In fact, I was once “tricked” into having a meal in the KFC restaurant here, only to find that the power socket has no power.

No way I’m going back there.

I am heading to Dunkin’ Donuts in LCC Terminal, where they have both Internet access and power (and great service too!), and while I’m there, I’m going to get a coffee… and maybe some of their awesome donuts or sandwiches too.

Get the point?

Tags: coffee bean, dunkin donuts, internet access, starbucks

You don’t need search rankings.
You don’t need page rank.
You don’t need a lot of traffic.
You don’t need to build incoming links.
You don’t need a great sales copy.
You don’t need an Adwords campaign.
You don’t need to have a blog.
You don’t need to use Twitter.
You don’t need to build a massive website.
You don’t need to build a usable website.
You don’t need to submit press releases.

You only need enough profitable conversions to sustain your business.

Please don’t let an “Internet Marketing Consultant” get you busy doing too many things. When you implement anything on your website, don’t do it because “everyone else is doing it”.

Do it only because it might lead you to more profitable conversions.

Tags: Internet Marketing

So, how do you get your potential customers to ditch your competitors’ product in disgust and get obsessed about yours?

Just two steps.

Step 1: Build a great product.

Step 2: Tell them in the face! Tell them that they are waaaaaaay out of date if they are you using your competitors’ products.

Seriously. This is what Mozilla tried to pull on me when I went to the FireFox website yesterday.

Well done Firefox!

Tags: firefox, internet explorer

I just realised Blogopreneur.com is listed on Singapore Alltop.

Its good news, and good feedback too.

So it seems I’m more of a “Singapore blogger” than “marketing blogger” eh?

While I’m not in the right (or at least, preferred) category, its good also to be the only marketing blog on Singapore Alltop.

Tags: alltop, marketing blog, singapore blog

The AWeber Blog has made a very simple but important point today. Basically, it says – don’t use “do-not-reply” email addresses in your campaigns.

In the past, broadcasts and announcements work. Today, not as much.

Today you need conversations, because that builds your relationships.

People WANT to click reply. Its natural for people to click “reply” in emails… and if you are doing marketing, you should actually be glad that people actually reply to your emails.

Great point Justin.

Tags: aweber, email-marketing

On my way back from my dinner yesterday, I saw a cat trying to prey on a rat. I stopped walking to observe what will happen, expecting an exciting chase and ferocious battle, hoping to get some real life urban “National Geographic Channel” stuff.

The cat was fat, being well fed by the aunties from my flat who has nothing else to do everyday but feed stray cats.

Once the cat started its chase, the rat very quickly scampered under a car, and then into the drains. The fat cat had no chance.

So there was no exciting chase. No Geographic Channel to watch.

Today’s economy and technology allows small teeny companies to do big things. And remaining small keeps you quick, flexible to change and nimble. The obsession about building bigger companies, getting bigger offices, and hiring more is almost pointless. Getting fed by big projects will give you a whole lot of ego, but it will make you fat and cost you more too.

And when you are stuck giving credit to a big companies that take eons to pay their (big) bills, that is where your (big) problems begin.

As Seth Godin said in his recent post, “Big enough is big enough, biggest isn’t necessary.”

Today, because of technology and worldwide distribution, we see the disintegrating of “mass market”. When there is no mass market, how well do you think mass marketing (in the TV and papers) will do? By staying small, you don’t need mass marketing, because you don’t need mass customers. You can craft specific campaigns to appeal to specific potential customers.

We should focus on getting better, not bigger. Serve a small niche of customers and have them in a head over heels relationship with you, instead of reaching out to the masses and have “transactions” with them. Think big, but stay small.

Tags: mass marketing, seth-godin