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Marketing automation has become a vital tool for businesses of every size. It can help you gain and sustain a competitive advantage. Speed up sales results. Plus, enable you to engage more contacts with personalized messages sent at the right time. So you can build good relationships.Yet not each marketing automation system is the same. In fact, very few have all the essential tools in one package of services. If so, that can cause you to integrate system parts from third parties that can cost you time and money, especially when things go wrong down the road.That is why it’s vital to first know what a full all-in-one marketing automation system is all about.Marketing automation is a server-based software that integrates different technologies.4 Automation Technologies Most Vital for Marketing CampaignsFirst, it includes a CRM that allows you to collect, store and use information about your contacts. To be able to segment your contacts by custom fields and tags, behavior – such as opening emails and clicking on links, plus purchases.Second, it includes an automated messaging system for emails, text, postcards and tasks. This allows you to send each message to contacts based on when they opted in, a date, behavior, purchase and more.Third, it has eCommerce functionality. It integrates order pages with a form and payment gateway for one-click purchases. Plus it can allow you to integrate with a shopping cart if you prefer. Most of all, it can automate processes based on successful or failed transactions, subscriptions, trial periods, payment plans, coupons and more.Fourth, it must have a campaign builder that enables you to take each contact on a personalized journey with measurable results. This allows you to create multiple campaigns for opt-in, sales, upsell, downsell and retention.A marketing automation system such as one by Ontraport can provide additional features. These include marketing tracking to help you see which ads, landing pages and emails are generating the most cost-effective results. Affiliate marketing and membership site to help you boost the number of customers and sales. Landing page and form builder to enable you to design professional looking sites in minutes. And a lead router and scoring system to help you and your sales team follow up leads and convert them into customers.Three key benefits of a marketing automation system are that you can customize it for your business. You can have multiple marketing campaigns at the same time that operate 24/7. Plus you can automate processes specific to contacts along their journey. But there are also marketing automation mistakes you can make along the way.Marketing Automation Mistake #1: Sending eMails to Contacts Who Did NOT Opt-in
Marketing automation involves permission based emails. That means you send emails to contacts who give you permission to send them information. You can get permission when each contact opt-in to your system. However, importing a list or manually adding contacts to your marketing automation system is a violation of SPAM rules. If you do this you can compromise the delivery of emails even to those whom give you permission.Marketing Automation Mistake #2: Not Maintaining a Database of Active Contacts
Even after you get a contact to opt-in, you must keep them active. That means, you must continually send them emails with relevant content to engage with at least once per week. Otherwise, they may forget you and not open the few emails you send. Over time, they can become less engaged, diminishing email delivery of your entire database. A re-engagement campaign is an effective method to get non-engaged contacts to interact with your emails again. You get these contacts to tell you if they’d like to remain on your list or opt-out. So you can maintain a consistent and clean contact database.Marketing Automation Mistake #3: Focusing on the Wrong Metrics
Marketing automation allows you to measure the results of your campaigns. This includes opt-ins, sales conversion, email open and click link rates, landing page visits, sales, ROI and more.However, focusing on the wrong metrics can cause you to misinterpret the true results. For example, you may have two campaigns where one has much higher open rates and lower click rates. Yet when you calculate click to open rates you can see an entirely different result. Before starting each campaign, it is vital to know the metric you seek to focus on to determine success.Marketing Automation Mistake #4: Not Split Testing Campaigns
All campaigns differ by the type and number of contacts, content and more. Split testing campaigns is the key to finding what works right. But the key to split testing is to test just one variable at a time. Such as a headline, price, offer, design or target audience. The campaign that wins is the new control. Then you can test other campaigns against the control.Marketing Automation Mistake #5: Not Having a Certified Consultant on Your Team
Marketing automation is both an art and a science. It requires a mix of technology know-how with direct response marketing expertise. Plus an objective mindset that is not biased toward the company or product. These are why it is best to have an independent consultant certified in the use of the marketing automation software on your team. To develop the strategy and build a custom automation system for your business. Plus, to train your team on using the system.

Having done brand development for the past 20 years, it is a cause of amazement to find how frequently most companies use other creative or advertising avatars as stand-ins for a true brand. If you are a marketing consultant, odds are high you have heard these top excuses for branding.Here are the top 10 Fallacies of Branding heard from clients, and a “tough love” (TL) response.Fallacy #1: I’ve/we’ve been in business a long time – my customers know what we stand for.TL: Please show us your data. Because we bet they don’t. If we talk to 10 customers about you, we will get 10 different answers. We will. We know this because we’ve never done a brand project where customers responded how executives thought they would respond. Some of the customer responses you won’t like. And most likely, what they actually think of you isn’t quite (or at all) what you’d like them to think of you.Fallacy #2: We have a logo done (by the CEO’s nephew), and that is our brand.TL: What is the meaning behind the logo? Is there a story? What is it meant to convey? What is your promise to your customers that they will experience each and every time they connect with you? Is your logo hinting at that promise? When your customers see that logo, do they immediately know what to expect? Do they even recognize the logo? Does the color of the logo convey meaning about your brand? Can customers name your company when they see the logo? Is the logo original and differentiated?Fallacy #3: We have a website and that is our brand.TL: How does your website operationalize your promise to your customers? Does what your website says match with what you are trying to deliver? Is the website an offshoot of your brand position, promise, personality and core messages? (And are those written down anywhere so you can leverage these across all your communications?) What kind of brand experience do you customers have when they visit?Fallacy #4: We have an advertising campaign, and our brand is communicated through that.TL: Oh, you have a brand campaign? How does this campaign move the needle on your customer’s brand experience? Is it building brand loyalty? Is it moving you higher in their consideration set? How does it communicate your brand promise? Are you resonating emotionally? How do you know? Or… is your campaign really a product campaign or leads generation campaign?Fallacy #5: Our CEO has created our mission, vision and guiding principles, and that’s our brand.TL: Please, please don’t confuse these with a brand. And please prove to us these are original, well thought-out (not just a writing exercise), and are ingrained into your culture. Please demonstrate us how these are carried out in your company. Show us how these principles provide a foundation for your brand. (If you can, then cheers! We use that as input to the brand.)Fallacy #6: We know what our customers want. We talk to them all the time.TL: Yes, we know. You’re talking to them about how you’re serving them now and you’re having a lot of transactional conversations. When have you asked what they need in the future? Have you asked them if there is something they want that you are not doing? Have you hired a third-party to ask them tough questions (because they may not tell you the hard truth to your face?) Do you have quantifiable numbers that show you how you’re doing with customers compared with competitors? What is it they would like you to stop doing? Have you probed enough into their buying and usage patterns to identify a need they haven’t even thought of yet? Do you have enough customer responses to trust betting bet several million dollars on a new product or service?Fallacy#7: Our advertising agency had a creative session, and told us what our brand is.TL: Really? Because top brands are based on original internal and external research and data. Specifically about you. So branding isn’t simply a creative exercise, it’s a strategic process tied directly to your company plan that uses data to shape strategy. Your brand informs your go-to-market approach, is operationalized through how you interact with customers, defines and deeply informs you about your priority customer segments. It will guide your product offerings, your R&D and even who you hire. Creative is highly necessary to give a brand “lift” but it comes last, not first.Fallacy #8: We use the same colors from our logo on everything, so we look really consistent.TL: Please don’t confuse consistency with meaning. Consistency is excellent, if it is reinforcing the important meaning behind, and the selection of, your brand. What do your colors mean? What do your colors convey to your customers? How do you use them to support your brand promise?Fallacy #9: Our customers know our name.TL: No, no and no. Some customers know your name. Many customers cannot remember you if you asked them to list companies or brands in your category without help (unaided awareness.) Many customers will be able to name the number one company in your category. Hopefully, it’s you. If not, you have brand work to do. If your customers do remember your name, can they say what you stand for? And does what they say match with what you want them to say? What about customers no longer doing business with you – have they forgotten your name? Oh, and what about potential customers? Do they know your name?Fallacy#10: We think we’re the leader, so we really don’t need a brand.TL: Leaders need brands to stay leaders. Because if your competition gets smart and gets branded, you’ve got some serious competition in the wings. If you truly are the leader (and we’d love for that to be true), how did you become the leader? Can you replicate what you did again and again – in new markets, among new customers, with new products or lines of business? Why not bottle what makes you so great and ensure you never, ever lose the recipe to the secret sauce?

In today’s financing environment, it really doesn’t matter what type of financing one is trying to obtain, it is more difficult and the process takes longer. That is fact. Car wash loans certainly fit this mold. Car washes can be cash cows. Depending on the type of car wash (rollover, tunnel or self-service) profit margins can be in excess of 90%! It is is also a cash business. The long and the short of it is, if you’re looking to buy an existing car wash, there is a good chance you might not looking at the numbers the site is actually doing based on the tax returns. Some of the newer car washes are including more profit centers such as oil and lube changes without having fuel. In general, it is easier to get a loan than it is to get financing for a gas station or convenience store with a car wash. While there are potential environmental concerns at a car wash, from a lending point, it does not compare to potential environmental problems at a gas station.To add insult to injury, coming to a city near you, it’s Discount Wash! (No, that’s not the name of a chain). Because the profit margins are so high in the industry, some companies have gotten the idea to come in and charge significantly less and still make a lot of money. It has really upset the applecart in many cities and some long existing businesses are no longer IN business. Many of the newer ones that are being built are charging the same to do a high end tunnel wash than you might spend at a rollover after filling up at a gas station. That is very hard to compete with. So you have to look at the business and figure out if it can still make money if you are charging significantly less and still make money with the anticipated volume increasing.From a financing point of view underwriters and credit officers will have their own biases and prejudices. The typical requirements exist when it comes to financing from the point of view of down payments, industry experience, good credit, cash flow etc. An argument can be made that the industry experience is not as important as some other businesses. The reason for this logic is it is not like a gas station in the sense that you have to constantly be looking at what your competitors are doing on a daily basis because your competitors are not going to be changing their prices daily. Plus because of the high profit margins, it is easier to take the hit if the margins temporarily drops.People are keeping their cars longer now so people are also taking better care OF their cars. This is only a win-win for operators.A car wash loan can be very attractive to a smaller local bank because of the depository relationship that may be required. As with all commercial financing, the more organized you are in your presentation, the more likely you are to obtain financing. Sloppy packaging sends a message to a loan officer or an underwriter. Sloppy packaging means sloppy business practices. Sloppy business practices means less profitable businesses.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the US as new cases continue to be diagnosed at a rate of 4000 per day. This sobering statistic places millions of people at greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, sudden death from a heart attack and contributes to the obesity epidemic.Diabetes is characterized by metabolic instability as a result of wild blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance which damages the delicate inner lining of the coronary arteries. New research demonstrates that intense lifestyle changes to diet, exercise and the surrounding environment can prevent both heart disease and diabetes initiation and progression.Intense Lifestyle Changes Required to Prevent DiabetesThe results of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine show that intense lifestyle changes including diet and exercise demonstrated significant decreases in body weight, lowered blood pressure and A1C blood glucose readings. Cardiovascular health also improved as blood pressure was reduced and HDL cholesterol levels increased.The study continued over the course of four years and found that compared to a control group, the lifestyle intervention participants experienced a considerably lowered risk of cardiovascular disease as well as biomarkers which predict diabetes. The study also found that the prescribed lifestyle intervention group also lost an average of 7% of their body weight. This is significant as research has shown that losing as little as 5% of total weight can reduce the risk of mortality from all causes.Diabetes is Caused by Poor Diet and Inactive LifestyleThe New England Journal of Medicine concludes that `the majority of cases of Type II diabetes could be prevented by the adoption of a healthier lifestyle`. Diet is the single most important factor which leads to metabolic dysfunction, loss of blood sugar and insulin control and excessive levels of triglycerides which become stored as abdominal fat.Many other factors contribute including lack of physical activity, smoking and environmental pollutants and toxins. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease which can be prevented by following a natural diet, getting regular exercise and limiting exposure to household and environmental toxins.Improving Blood Sugar and Lowering Cardio Risk FactorsDiabetes and heart disease are closely linked as diabetics run twice the risk of developing coronary artery disease and dying from a heart attack. In large part this is due to the damage caused by rapid swings in blood sugar after meals which are high in refined and processed carbohydrates and immediately released into the bloodstream. This damages the delicate endothelial lining of the coronary arteries leading to plaque buildup and vascular deterioration.Following a natural diet which excludes all sugar, processed carbohydrates, wheat and hydrogenated fats is the best strategy to prevent diabetes and related cardiovascular disease. Monitor your blood sugar at 1 and 2 hour intervals after eating and be sure that the reading stays below 140 mg/dl. Readings above this level are associated with dramatically increased risk of diabetic complications and promote heart disease.Modern medical science has been slow to uncover and reveal the real cause of diabetes and heart disease. Alternative health advocates have long known the healing power experienced by switching to a diet void of processed foods and eliminating household and environmental toxins. Those with the true desire to make permanent natural lifestyle changes will be able to prevent diabetes and heart disease while naturally promoting weight loss.

If you are going to change your home, update it, build a new structure or repair it, you might be required a permit. You have to know if this is required ahead of time because this should be acquired before you start the project. This will prevent you from facing charges and paying expensive fees. This is why it is essential to know whether a permit is required or not.But how are you going to know if it is necessary or not? The best way to find out is to consult your local building department if you are planning to renovate or repair your home because not all changes at home will require it. There are certain home alterations that do not need permit.Importance:Home repair permits are essential to ensure that homeowners or builders follow standards set by the local building department. Certain standard has to be followed if you want to ascertain the quality of work. Following the set standards and guidelines helps ensure the security of the project. In addition to that, permits are essential as they are used by third parties too. Insurance companies, for instance, would look for a permit in case an accident or damage occurs. Without it, the insurance company will not cover the said damage or accident.This is also necessary if you want to identify the current value of your home. Appraisers will not include the improvements in their computations if the homeowner cannot present the required permit.When do you need it?You will need a permit whenever there is a major change in the house. If you are going to build a new structure, a permit will be necessary. If you are thinking of changing the electrical or the water system, you will also be required to acquire a permit. Any major change that will affect the structure and floor plan of the house will require a permit.However, as mentioned earlier, permits are not always needed. There are repairs and improvements at home that will not need this. Simple changes like change the wall colors as well as the wood treatments in the house will not require such documents.If you are going to hire a builder or a contractor, they will be responsible in acquiring permits. However, not all contractors and builders are responsible. Some will want to cut back on expenses and workloads at your expense. If your builder says that a permit is not necessary, check with your local building department to verify the information.How to acquire repair permits?Acquiring repair permits is easy. What is important is that you know the requirements and submit them during the application. However, requirements vary per state and city. It is best that you contact the local department to inquire about what you need present. After submitting the requirements, you will be asked to pay a certain fee. You will be granted the permit after your requirements are reviewed and approved.Permits are essential to make sure that you or our builders followed the building codes and standards set by the local government. Ask your local government if a permit is needed before you start making repairs and alterations at home.

Newly appeared companies bring into the market new automotive connectors and components like: tires, brake systems, stability control systems, cables, wires etc..New suppliers of automotive connectors and components have conquered the market by their extensive activities particularly in the production of tires, brake systems, control of the vehicle dynamics and electronic sensors. With a turnover of 20 billion Euros in 2009, these new companies have about 138,500 employees in 46 countries.These connectors providers have been real work suppliers as well, making that over 100,000 people over the world were provided with jobs.These automotive connectors are available for most car models, such as BMW, Fiat, Opel, GM, Ford, Chrysler, RV, Farm Chevrolet, Audi, Porsche, Seat etc.Automotive connectors are one of the most common causes of overlooking reasons for engine problems and starting problems on a boat, truck, car or anything that starts with a battery. Repairing can be made by simply replacing the old corroded and broken connector in the electrical system.These new connectors companies have a submersible and nature sealed interconnection systems that have designed auto connectors to withstand harsh conditions. These connectors include opaque and inter facial seals and this new design assembled firstly is very easy to use.It also reduces applied costs because it does not require assembly of components and eliminates the need to purchase or handle wire seals.The Automotive Connectors provide unique combination of superior electrical performances and low insertion forces.These are designed to meet the new requirements and face the tests which are aligned to 150,000 miles or 15-years of service life. The connectors’ performance standards for sealed connectors. By being compliant with these standards, the Automotive Connectors are ideal for automotive, off-road construction, marine and agricultural equipment, as well as bus, truck and RV applications.These connectors are available in a wide variety of shapes and circuit sizes and wire ranges. These new automotive connectors versions accommodates wide ranges of styles from SAE wires to UL type wires, in comparison to old connectors, that were usually designed for thin, weak wires.”Prior to the old connectors, sealed connectors used in these types of applications require additional assembly by the customer and, in some cases, there were permanent connections that needed complete replacement if a connection failed, all of which cost time and money, With these new and improved connectors not only meet the market needs for sealed, they also offers pre-assembled designs that are also field repairable solutions that eliminate assemblies and down time, as well as hard repair costs.”These being said, hopefully you’ve understood the importance of automotive connectors and plan to get the best there is available. Among the numerous companies that provide automotive connectors, a good car can only hope its owner will choose the best product that suits your car’s every personality and style. Give a few bucks more but at least you’ll not regret the good quality you have found.