by Elle Ray | Jan 20, 2015 | Small Business Advice
Some Useful Tips for Business Partners
Business partnerships, as a rule, have a tough time making it. When Mark and Linda of Ray Access first considered creating a formal partnership, we were warned by many:
- Be careful, it’s tough to really trust someone like that.
- Make sure you have exit strategies.
- Protect your ass(ets)!
The business landscape is littered with big busts where business partners bumped heads so often that their businesses ended up with irreparable concussions:
- News Tilt
- Cryptine Networks
- NASA and Lockheed Martin
- Quaker and Snapple
- Fashion Café
Never heard of these partnerships? No wonder, they failed for a variety of reasons. Partners need to learning these lessons before pledging fidelity.
Pick Your Partners Carefully
A business partnership is more like a marriage than a one-night stand. You expect more than just chemistry and instant gratification. You’ve got to know that your partner is in it for the long haul with you and won’t jump at the first sign of trouble.
Partners need to each bring invaluable contributions to the business, creating a paradigm that one person couldn’t recreate. Each partner needs to contribute to the success of the business; otherwise, resentments form, followed by mistrust, misunderstandings and dissolution.
Live Together First
Go through a year or more of working together before you even consider going legitimate. Over a long haul, you’ll encounter a vast number of situations where you can evaluate your partner’s ability to cope, decision-making skills and communication style. In a year, you’ll most likely have at least one disagreement; wait to see how that plays out before moving forward.
What you see is what you get. Don’t expect a business partner to change just because you are a good influence or you believe he will mature with some experience. Get into business with the person right in front of you, and you won’t set yourself up for disappointment.
Talk, Talk, Talk
Talk so much that you find you can finish each other’s sentences when you’re in front of clients. Get to know your partner, his thoughts, feelings, ideas and concerns so that you can work out solutions together. Just like in a solid marriage, communication is key to success.
You can’t be afraid to confront your partner or point out problems. When you trust that your partner is thinking only of what’s best for the company, maintains consistent respect for you and praises your efforts when appropriate, you can take a little criticism when needed.
Take Time Out
While successful business partners share many of the same goals and values (and usually share a common sense of humor), you need to have very separate lives. It’s best not to socialize too much with your business partner and muddy the professional waters.
It’s OK if you have different friends and different interests outside of work. It’s healthy actually to prefer to spend time with your family on the weekend instead of with your business partner. And though our spouses get along really well, it’s not required. (Although we will say that mutual support from the home front doesn’t hurt.)
And on that note, here’s a related tip. We’ve heard ugly stories of husband-and-wife business partnerships that turned sour. Few marriages can stand up to the pressures of a business relationship, so it may be best not to start down that path if you can help it. If you do enter into business with your spouse, pay extra attention to communication and trust issues that may arise.
Trust Is Earned
Earn your partner’s trust by doing what you say you’re going to do. Once you build trust, many sins can be forgiven. If you are with the right partner, little can come between you. With little effort and the right partner, you too could end up in a happy business relationship like these successful partners:
- Orville and Wilbur Wright
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin
- Coco Chanel and Pierre Wertheimer
- Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
- Bill Hewlett and David Packard
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen
- Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
Maybe you’ll see Mark Bloom and Linda Ray on this list of successful partnerships someday. For now, we believe that we are successful after finishing up our first official year in business as a strong partnership. We’ve got each other’s backs and know it. We’ve had our differences and learned valuable lessons about compromise. We listen to each other and value the other’s opinions. We talk — and email — a lot. And through all that, we even like each other.
We’d love to hear about your partnership — what works or what didn’t work. Please email us at info at rayaccess.com or use our online contact form to send us your story. We’ll include responses in a future blog.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Jan 14, 2015 | Content Marketing
You Need to Use All Your Inherent Advantages
If you’re a business owner, you have discovered the challenges of growing your business in a small market. You know how difficult it can be to find new customers amidst all the competition. Regardless where you do business, you can expand your reach and attract more customers in 2015.
The marketplace is changing, and if you adapt your marketing practices, you’ll capture more of the market than your slower competitors. Small businesses in particular have an advantage. They’re on a tighter budget, so they’re more likely to make sure every dollar spent on marketing generates revenue. But bigger businesses still can take advantage of the following advice; they only need the initiative.
2015 Changes and Challenges
The established ways of marketing and advertising are slowly fading. Fewer and fewer people read a daily newspaper. TV channels with the best shows allow people to binge-watch its episodes, sans commercials, thanks to DVRs. No one younger than 30 — an appealing demographic for many businesses — uses the Yellow Pages.
The tried-and-true ways of marketing your business have become unreliable. Smart businesses today are turning to new methods, with surprising success. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, here is some advice you can take to the bank.
How to Grow Your Business
- Stop what you’re doing if it stops working. No matter what you’re doing to market your business, if you see a drop-off in your return-on-investment, stop and try something else. If that doesn’t work, try something new. The marketplace moves fast, and you have to act quickly to catch it.
- Use social media. While it doesn’t work for every business, social media can help some businesses market themselves and attract a younger demographic. Social media campaigns don’t focus directly on sales, but on building brand awareness.
- Update your website. More and more consumers are accessing the Web through mobile devices. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you may be losing business. In fact, if you haven’t updated your website in the past three years, chances are it may look dated to new visitors.
- Shift the focus of your online efforts. It used to be enough for your website to act as your digital storefront. No longer. Use your website to answer customers’ questions. Share information freely. Build a relationship with your customers, and they’ll buy from you.
- Blog to attract a wider audience. A business blog that is well written can help your business attract customers you were never able to reach before. By answering customers’ questions about your industry, by offering advice about your products or services and by tying your business to popular topics, you can bring more traffic to your website.
- Build better landing pages. When you run an online ad campaign, you direct the people who click on the ad to a specific landing page. If that page has a bunch of unrelated items on it, you may lose the sale. Target that page for the specific ad by providing proof of concept, a solid sales pitch and testimonials.
Let Ray Access help you grow your business in 2015. We’ll answer all your questions.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Dec 31, 2014 | Announcement
Benefits of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce
The Asheville Chamber of Commerce hosts a monthly Educational Series — a one-hour seminar on various topics related to business and business people. These meetings alternate between a before hours’ time slot (8:00 to 9:00 am) and a lunchtime time slot (noon to 1:00 pm).
For the Asheville morning events, Ray Access will be providing the coffee. For all attendees. Free of charge. It will be the first time a morning Chamber Educational Series event has had coffee furnished. And it took a small business to make it happen.
This Small Business
Ray Access is a small business. In fact, we’re a partnership. That means there are two of us: Linda and Mark. Only a solopreneur business is smaller. But in our industry — online business writing — having two instead of one is a competitive advantage: Everything we produce is professionally edited.
Yet this small business joined the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in August 2014. Believe us when we say it was a major investment for such a small business. It could be a big step forward or a big step back, but we decided, “It was time to go big or go home.” We believed in our business enough to take the risk.
Networking Opportunities
We were determined to grow our small business. We market to other businesses, and the Chamber of Commerce offered a way for us to connect to more area businesses than we could otherwise reach. By getting involved and attending Chamber events, we could build relationships and gain name recognition for our budding enterprise.
The Asheville Chamber of Commerce also provided us with many, many, many networking events. We were fairly active networkers before joining the Chamber, but with our membership, our networking activity tripled. While this was exciting at first, we soon realized it was a “good news, bad news” arrangement.
Marketing vs. Working
If we spent all our time marketing, we’d have no time to work. If we spent all our time working, we’d have no time to market our business. It’s an old business dilemma, one we wrote about before. But to grow a business, you have to find time for both. And if you’re a small business, chances are you have to find time to do both by yourself.
Of course, Ray Access has an advantage a solopreneur doesn’t: There are two of us. So we split up the events to cover more ground, while still having the time to do the work we love. We attend weekly networking events, as well as monthly events, so it’s still a big commitment of time, but that investment is starting to pay dividends, in both work and better community relationships.
The Educational Series Sponsorship
One of the monthly events we attend is the Educational Series. At the last before-hours seminar, we complained about the lack of coffee. Instead of becoming a problem, it became an opportunity. Most Chamber sponsorships are well beyond the reach of a small business like Ray Access. But providing coffee for 40 people? We could do that.
And so we created a new sponsorship opportunity. By supplying coffee every other month, we are both helping other businesses and spreading the word about our business. It’s a win-win situation that makes sense. Even for a small business like Ray Access.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Dec 24, 2014 | Announcement
We Came, We Saw, We Wrote It All Down
Ray Access & friends at the start of 2013
Looking back on what Ray Access was doing in December 2013 is like looking through the wrong end of a telescope. We were still writing on paper, using pen and ink. We sent each other messages by Pony Express, especially when the cans-on-a-string hardware malfunctioned. And everything was in black-and-white. At least it was easier to pick out our clothes — everything matched!
OK, we’re exaggerating. But Ray Access did come of age this past year. Here are some of our highlights:
The Early Months
When 2014 started, Ray Access was primarily a freelance operation. We had few regular clients and no idea where our next meal would come from. We lived on the streets, writing on the backs of worn envelopes. But we did great work, and our few clients loved us.
Then came our big break in February when we gave a presentation for a group of business people through the Vibrant Asheville Business networking group. We followed that with an encore for a joint meeting of the Fletcher Area Business Association and the Mills River Business Association. Suddenly, clients started calling.
A Growth Explosion
In March, Ray Access rewrote a number of websites, including those of our current blog clients Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds and Hendersonville Tents. We started the company to write blog posts for businesses, but realized that website content was just as important (and just as in demand) as blogs. It was then that we started to hit our stride.
We gained quite a few new clients during this early growth explosion, such as the Southeastern Spine Institute and the Wired Mouse. It felt like being in the driver’s seat for the first time, ready to go, but not moving, and then noticing the parking brake’s still set. Naturally, we released it while pressing the accelerator to the floor. And varoom! Off we went.
Moving and Shaking
In May, we joined the Fletcher Area Business Association. We gained more visibility and more clients, like the amazing Bubbleland Imagination Company. In July, Linda and Mark signed a formal partnership agreement after consulting with SCORE. By then, Ray Access had existed for about two years. In August, we joined the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. We had arrived. We were a real presence. People were getting to know us.
In October, we started writing for an online magazine called Simply Appalachian, which officially launch in January 2015. Serving seven states in Central Appalachia, we write feature articles on sports and adventures, flora and fauna, and people and places of interest. Look for our work on the pre-release version of the website.
Expertise and Exceptional Service
As we continue to grow, we pride ourselves on our personal and professional service. We love that we can do what we love while serving a growing number of businesses. One client has even called us “genius” for the work we did. But we haven’t let it go to our heads. We don’t have time for that.
In 2015, we’re going to maintain the momentum, both in Asheville and in outside markets. Regardless of our future growth, however, we promise to maintain the highest level of customer service and support to all our clients. If you were a client, thank you for your business during 2014. We remain — gratefully — at your service. If you are not yet a client, learn how we can help you attract more business.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Dec 17, 2014 | Announcement
It Was a Very Good Year for Very Good Reasons
I have a whole heap of gratitude for 2014 and all the opportunities afforded to me. While the U.S. economy continues to improve, I think I’ve been granted a little piece of the burgeoning pie. Our business is not where I want it to be yet — but it certainly is going in the right direction.
Ray Access Is Thriving
First and foremost, I am grateful for a superior partner. We’ve heard so many horror stories of partnerships gone terribly wrong that I am especially honored to have in Mark Bloom a steady, reliable partner who motivates me when I need it and offers up his shoulder when I need it to cry on. He’s also a fantastic editor and great writer — Mark puts the humor in our pages that is especially difficult to write.
I love that I get to meet so many cool people through our business. Sure, we’re an online company, but behind ever website and blog is a person trying to send a message. I’m grateful for the opportunities we get to play a small role in the growth of so many wonderful companies and the people who run them.
Shared Through Classrooms
I’m a typical Ashevillian who cobbles a number of jobs together to meet my financial goals. And it’s so cool that I get to practice the skills at which I excel. As an adjunct teacher at AB Tech, I’m grateful for the students who enter my classes. I can share my experience, strength and hope with them as they look for ways to improve their lives.
Whether I’m in the women’s prison teaching students how to manage money or on campus giving students an inside look at how we create content at Ray Access, I get to talk about those things I’ve learned and hope the information makes a difference. Why learn lessons, after all, if you don’t have an outlet for sharing them?
Selling Success
Through Ray Access, Mark and I make numerous pitches to sell our services, though they usually sell themselves. This process taps into another of my strengths — the ability to sell something I love. While writing and research is my first love, I also get to practice this skill every so often working at Rug and Home, an Asheville icon in the retail industry.
The owners like my style and I love their products. We make a really good fit and I am grateful for the open door they provide me to work when I have extra time. The rugs and furniture are so tempting, though, that I have to be careful to make more than I spend there.
The Homefront
Finally, I’m grateful for my husband Gary, who stays out of my way when I’m busy writing in my office and who supports my dreams. He’s my biggest cheerleader, something most important in a life partner. Our extended families can try our souls sometimes (although our two grandkids are exceptional). But in the end, no matter what happens among friends, co-workers, the community and the world, we feel safe at home with each other.
Thank you, everyone who touched our lives this past year. Oh no, I’m getting ready to tear up now — not a common sight. But, yes, my work and my home are so very special that they are worth the water works. So let it flow! Happy holidays to everyone!
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Dec 11, 2014 | Announcement
Mark Bloom Edited Three Published Books
Many of our clients don’t know that Mark used to work for Lark Books, a subsidiary of Sterling Publishing in New York. Even though Lark Books has now downsized its way to insignificance, Mark retains his skills and interest in editing books for publication. As a result, he has a freelance business here in Asheville.
How he finds the time to edit books while completing all his writing and editing work for Ray Access is a bit of a mystery, but he mentioned once that he prefers working to sleeping. However he does it, 2014 marked a high point in his freelance book-editing business. Here are reviews and more for each of the three books:
Not Lost for Lookin’
Mark met author Lexi Boeger through mutual friends, and they became friends themselves. The novel — subtitled “A fly-fishing romance ghost-story adventure of the high Sierras!” — is everything that implies, and more. Lexi proved herself to be an excellent writer, taking Mark’s constructive criticisms and embellishing them. Find out more about Lexi and the book at Smashwords. Here are some reviews:
“Not Lost for Lookin’ captures the shimmering light off a Sierra trout stream and examines the dust of generations collected in the back of a gold-rush bar. Pairs well with a dusty bottle of bourbon.” –Alex Stephens, fisherman
“Lexi Boeger takes us through a great modern take on an old western/ghost yarn, complete with incredible descriptions of the sierras and love for the mysteries they hold. Her characters are vivid, raw and compelling.” – Julie A Rohrer
Other People’s Money
Elizabeth Russell is an Asheville local who’s worked in the charitable foundation world for 20 years. She had already rewritten this mystery novel several times and submitted it to a contest before coming to Mark for help. Together, they refined the plot and characters, and Elizabeth did the rest, capping her long, determined journey to publication. You can buy the book and read more about it on Amazon.com. Here are several reviews:
“Foundations need not be mysterious, but this novel about grant-making by someone who knows foundations well clearly belongs on the mystery-lover’s bookshelf.” –Dorothy Ridings, former president, Council on Foundations
“Elizabeth Russell has crafted a compelling and most intriguing narrative sure to make the reader smile with satisfaction and delight.” –Mark Constantine, author of Wit and Wisdom: Unleashing the Philanthropic Imagination
Farmer & Chef Asheville
Collaborators and curators Debby Maughans and Christine Sykes Lowe collected a treasure trove of recipes and stories from Asheville bakers, chefs, bed-and-breakfast owners, farmers, bartenders and more in this unique cookbook. It gives the reader a “taste of Asheville,” which has become a real Foodtopia® in recent years. Mark has to take all the content and edit it to feel like a single voice. This beautifully designed book, the first of a series by Farmer & Chef South, should sell very well, both in Asheville and beyond. Here are some reviews about the book:
“As a producer for Chopped, I saw chefs from all over the country add bits of Southern food wisdom into their cooking. This cookbook, like Asheville itself, has a unique and progressive, but deeply rooted Southern sensibility. The recipes, essays, and rich photos will continue to inspire you.” –Kirstin Moburg Davis, producer, “Chopped,” Food Network
“I grew up visiting my grandparents in the Asheville of the 1980s, an era when the best meals could only be found in a home kitchen. My how things have changed. With gorgeous ingredients and mountain food traditions in mind, talented chefs and brewers have quietly built a vibrant food and drink culture that rivals any city in the South.” –Hunter Lewis, editor, Cooking Light
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Dec 1, 2014 | Small Business Advice
Reward Your Best Clients with Holiday Surprises
Once the holidays start — and for most it’s at Thanksgiving — it becomes increasingly difficult to continue with business as usual. Decisions get put off “until after the first of the year.” Holiday parties and vacations interrupt business meetings. And money gets tight as Santa has so many stockings to fill.
It can be frustrating for a small business owner who may be lucky to take just one day off in the month of merry. But rather than fight it, perhaps it’s just as well to join in the festivities, be thankful for the work that’s in the hopper and give a little more to a favorite charity. It’s also a great excuse to give your best clients a big “Thank You” for the work they sent throughout the year. Granted, you hope they continue sending it your way, but you’ll feel good just in the giving. Here are four gift ideas to get you started:
Send Joy
Cards are nice and offer sentiments of gratitude and “thinking of you,” but for those clients who’ve sent referrals and consistent work, now’s the time to make your mark. When you can’t think of the ideal gift, try one of these suggestions to win smiles (and hopefully goodwill).
1. Food
You never can go wrong with gifts of food. Food baskets can be shared in an office or taken home for the family to enjoy. Send a basket of nuts for the nutty crew at the web developer’s office or a basket of sweets to those who made you smile with a monthly check. Try any of the many online gift basket companies like Cherry Moon Farms or go local from an Edible Arrangements franchisee.
2. Books
Give books that will entertain and enlighten clients. Send the latest from a local author and get it signed for your recipient. Check out the latest business book for the client who enjoys trends and new ideas. Financial whizzes may enjoy the latest news from the world of big money, and sports enthusiasts may enjoy a biography from a winner. You need to know a bit about the tastes of your client, but if you do, you’ll make a hit with a good read.
3. Plants
Who doesn’t need a money tree for their office? The plants grow to outrageous heights, reminding your clients of your generosity with each new foot of sprouts. Go with a philodendron or a cool cactus if you think your client may be more into a more low-maintenance type plant. The gift will most certainly receive a place of honor where you will be thought of often.
4. Promotion
It may seem a bit self-serving, but if the gift that bears your company name and logo is useful or fun, the self-promotion can be overlooked. Nice pens, coffee mugs, calendars with outstanding artwork, thumb drives, clocks and mouse pads all make great gifts on which you can have your imprint clearly imbedded.
Set a budget and stick with it. Send the gifts out a before the big December 25 rush to stand out from the crowd and include a nice note to the clients who have helped you grow your business. You’ll be remembered long into the new year and may find yourself on the receiving end of little more business.
From Ray Access, we wish everyone a prosperous and happy holiday season.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Nov 26, 2014 | Blog Writing
Is That the Turkey or Your Mother-in-Law?
That’s the question we’ve always wanted to ask. That sound — gobble, gobble — could be what turkeys mutter as they voice their displeasure. Or it could be what people (not just your mother-in-law) sound like at the Thanksgiving Day table. Or it could be both. Both, we could argue, represent this holiday.
Perhaps the bigger question is how that ties into the business of business blogging, since that is one of the things we do at Ray Access. It’s not such a stretch when you take the time to consider it. We cover a wide range of topics on this blog, from writing tips to ergonomic office furniture to small business tips to fashion advice (of all things). We can write about Thanksgiving if we want to.
Tying Your Blogs into Current Events
The point is that it sometimes the subject of your blog post doesn’t matter. You want to be able to reach out on your blog to attract a wide variety of readers. Readers who come to your blog are visitors to your website. If your blog is working properly, you are attracting the right audience. For Ray Access, our audience is anyone with a business or a message. So we cast a wide net.
You can do the same. Write about current events, holidays, or popular subjects. Use keywords that people are currently searching for. You may attract new readers and new visitors to your website. Once they arrive, they may decide to take a look around your website, especially if they fit your target demographic.
How to Write Current Event Blog Posts
The trick to tying your blog posts to current events is to find the angle that connects your business to the event or holiday. It’s not that difficult to do. For example, in this blog post, we’re discussing writing techniques for blog posts, but tying it to the Thanksgiving holiday. Reread that last sentence. Taken out of context, it seems like a stretch, and yet this post hits the mark.
Anyone looking for Thanksgiving tips, the sound a turkey makes or complaints about mothers-in-law may find our little blog post and gain some insight about writing. If they are also a business owner and find themselves in need of writing help, they’ll likely remember us.
At least, that’s our evil plan.
You Can Do It Too
All you need is to set aside some time — an hour, several minutes, whatever you can squeeze into your schedule — and brainstorm a few ideas about how to connect your business to current events. It can be a direct tie, as when we wrote a blog post for a gastroenterologist client about the illnesses on cruise ships in the news. Or it could be more abstract, like tying a business-writing business to the Thanksgiving holiday.
If you get stuck, call in the pros at Ray Access. We do this for a living. We can help you attract a wider audience while gradually raising your page rank. Content marketing works, but only if you keep at it. Don’t let complacency drop your page rank; let us help.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Nov 17, 2014 | Website Content
Your Website Should Be Increasing Your Sales
Now that every business has a website, the competition for attention has become fierce. You’ve likely invested time and money (and sometimes a lot of both) into developing your website. Now you want to know if it measures up.
It’s easy to count the sales that come directly from your website, but it’s more difficult to know if your site is aiding those sales or hindering more sales. Unless you’re willing to pay big bucks to an SEO firm to track traffic and conversions — which is a good idea if you can afford it — there used to be few alternatives. Until now.
Website Assessments Provide Perspective
Ray Access has begun offering a new service called “website assessments.” What that means is that we bring our expertise about effective website content, our knowledge about seamless website navigation and our wisdom of a website’s purpose to bear on your site. We pour through your site, page by page, to develop a report that analyzes just how effective your website is to a first-time visitor.
We’ve done many of these website assessments. Every one of the assessments was received with gratitude and accolades. One of our clients, Kudzu Branding, had this to say: “Thank you for your great feedback and comments on our website. I found them extremely useful. We are having a team meeting on Monday to discuss how we can implement some of your ideas.”
How It Works
We look for language issues, like whether the content needs editing to more concisely hit your message. That’s a given, since we’re writers practiced in the art of developing website content. But we do more than that.
We look at a lot of websites. Every day, we are either writing website content or doing research for the blogs we write. As a result, we understand what websites are supposed to do and how they should ideally function. For example, your website should not be a sales pitch. Yes, you want to announce your company online. Yes, you want to claim your competitive advantage. Yes, you want visitors to choose your business. But if you hammer the sales pitch over and over, you will drive business away.
Your website should answer questions and help people. Your website should build trust and start a relationship. Anything less is a wasted opportunity.
For your website assessment, we will review your site, page by page, looking for what works and what can be improved. We will write it all down in a report and deliver it to you. All for one low price, based on the size of your website. What you do with the report is up to you. Often, we can help with an edit or a rewrite, but you’re under no obligation to hire us. A website assessment is a standalone service that we’re happy to provide.
It’s Time for Your Website Assessment
No one uses the Yellow Pages anymore; everyone is online and on the go. Search engines keep changing their formulas. A website design has about a five-year lifespan. Past its freshness date, it begins to look staid and dated. So before you begin a project to update your site, call us for a website assessment.
We can tell you where specifically your site needs improving. We can tell you what a first-time visitor sees when he arrives at your website. And we can advise you on ways to keep that visitor from leaving. The metrics show that the longer a visitor stays on your site, the better the chance that he will become a customer.
And that’s exactly what your website should do: build relationships to the point that visitors want to do business with you. And that’s exactly what a website assessment from Ray Access can help your website accomplish. Schedule your website assessment today.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Oct 31, 2014 | Writing
How to Write an Online Bio for Your Website
This is the second in a series of biography-writing articles that started with How to Write Your Own Bio. At Ray Access, we’ve heard from owners, entrepreneurs and principles that writing a bio is one of the most difficult assignments. It doesn’t have to be.
We’re not sure if it’s about modesty or fear that you’ll come off looking like a doofus to your peers, but let us assure you there is no cause for concern. If you follow the tips that professionals use when crafting personal biographies, you’ll look just fine to everyone…from your competition to your mother.
A Selfie in Print
A bio is just a way to let people know a little bit more about you. Get out of the way and pretend that you’re writing about your best friend. A bio is a selfie in print — and just as you wouldn’t post a picture of yourself with bed-hair, you want the most flattering light to shine through your words. At the same time, get real, it will make the process that much easier.
Include these 10 things in your bio and you’ll pretty much have it covered:
- Context
One of the first tenets of journalism is for the writer to answer the question, “Why should I care?” Readers need to know why your bio is pertinent to them and why they should take the time to get to know you. If you’re selling real estate, for example, you need to let readers know that you grew up in a home full of Realtors. If you run an ad agency, let them know you’ve got awards and book deals to justify your expertise.
- Accomplishments
A bio is a little like a resumé in that you want readers to know about your wins. They need to know the name of the awards you’ve won, the degrees you’ve earned and the praise you’ve received from the business community, in the press, from your peers and your customers.
- History
A little bit about your background provides the human touch to your bio. After all, business is not just about business, it’s about people. Readers want to know where you grew up and how your upbringing affected your life choices. A little history humanizes your bio and lets people identify with you.
- Challenges
The obstacles you’ve overcome and the challenges you’ve faced in your career can make for some of the most interesting aspects of a bio. By sharing a little about how you’ve become successful, your bio can provide inspiration, provoke empathy and show readers another side of the polished professional they’ve come to know.
- Volunteering
While you’ll certainly include your current title and what you do for your company, your community service also is relevant because it too shows your human side and gives readers a glimpse into your private life and your passions. When your volunteer activities are within your own industry, that’s even better, because it shows you support your industry in every aspect of your life. Volunteering also shows that you’re not just a taker.
- Professional Affiliations
Whether you are just a member of an industry group or hold a seat on a board, include your professional affiliations in your bio to show that you are wedded to your work and fully committed to your industry.
- Hobbies
Include hobbies and outside interests because they often reflect your personality. If you’re into sports, for example, readers glimpse your energy and vitality. Music and the arts target your creativity. If you’re an animal lover, you’re letting people know that you have a soft side. This also is the place to talk about the time you spend with your family and mention that you have two kids or are newly married. Writing something about your personal life also illustrates that you’re well-rounded.
- Anecdotes
Stories that provide a glimpse into your personal journey are welcome additions to a bio and make the read more interesting. People want to know how you accidentally stumbled on a buyer for a truckload of wood you were hauling and ended running a multimillion dollar woodworking shop. People are entertained reading about when you interviewed people on your summer vacations as a kid and ended up as an award-winning journalist. The anecdotal stories that formed a basis for your success also make for good pass-around stories.
- Plans
People reading your bio also like to know what’s next. What are your plans for the future? Where do you hope to bring your business in the next five or ten years? How do you hope to make a difference in your community, in your industry or for your employees?
- Purpose
Finally, round out the context of your bio, your career and your life, by touching on why you do what you do. This provides readers a reason to hire you or use your company. Purpose is something that people can relate to and that help people understand what drives you and what makes you tick.
Ray Access can write your bio for you if you find it too difficult. You may be surprised what can come out in a 15-minute interview over the phone that makes it into print. And don’t forget that the writers and editors at Ray Access offer other business services.
Finally, don’t forget to update your bio every once in a while, both to keep your website fresh and to alert your potential clients of your latest achievements!
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
