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LinkNow Media Ranked Number 27 on The PROFIT 500 List of Fastest-Growing Companies

profit csToday, PROFIT 500 and Canadian Business unveiled their 28th annual list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, which will be published in the October issue of Canadian Business and PROFITguide.com. We are honored to announce that LinkNow Media ranked 27 on the list with a five-year revenue growth of 2,755%. We also ranked as the 5th Fastest-Growing Company in Montreal, and the #1 Fastest-Growing Marketing & Media Company in Canada.

“Companies become a part of the PROFIT 500 through innovative thinking, smart strategy and sheer grit,” says James Cowan, Editor-in-chief of PROFIT and Canadian Business. “These firms demonstrate what Canadian entrepreneurs can achieve, both at home and across the globe.”

A Long-Standing Commitment to Excellence

As a small company, we are thrilled to be on the list, and even more excited to have ranked number 27 on the 28th annual PROFIT 500. We know that this wouldn’t have been possible without our loyal clients. Some of you have been with us from the very beginning and some of you are new to our family, but truly, without any of you, LinkNow Media wouldn’t have obtained this level of success.

We’ve written in previous posts about ways businesses can say thank you to customers, so we would like to take the opportunity to do that. From everyone here at LinkNow Media: thank you! You are without a doubt the backbone of our business, and the reason for our tremendous growth. Your success is our success, and we are always looking for better ways to serve you.

As an internet marketing and website design company, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to connect with our clients on a very personal level. It wasn’t too long ago that we were only building websites for plumbing contractors. Today, we are proud to say that we are building websites for more than 70 industries, from interior designers, to auto mechanics, to lawyers. It’s a pleasure working with and researching for varied occupations, from the CEOs to guys out in the field.

Let LinkNow Help You Succeed Online

If you are a small business owner looking to improve your web presence, our team of experts would love the opportunity to talk to you about how we can help grow your business online. Get in touch with us and learn why we’re the #1 fastest-growing marketing and media company in Canada.

About PROFIT and PROFITguide.com

PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada’s preeminent media brand dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid-sized businesses. For 34 years, Canadian entrepreneurs across a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it’s a timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them achieve business success and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Visit PROFIT online at PROFITguide.com.

About Canadian Business

Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving, best-selling and most-trusted business publication in the country. With a total brand readership of more than 1.1 million, it is the country’s premier media brand for executives and senior business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada’s business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. We provide concrete examples of business achievement, thought-provoking analysis and compelling storytelling, all in an elegant package with bold graphics and great photography. Canadian Business—what leadership looks like.

 

 

3 Reasons Why You Should Share Yelp Reviews on Facebook

yelp yelpFacebook is a great platform for enhancing your brand image, sharing ongoing promotions, and building meaningful relationships. If you manage your company’s Facebook page and post regularly, you are likely already doing these things. However, can you be doing more? If you have a Yelp profile, you should consider sharing your customer’s positive reviews with your Facebook friends. This is one area that many businesses shy away from because it involves tooting your own horn, but you shouldn’t be afraid to share what others are saying about you, especially words of praise.

If you don’t like the idea of boasting your achievements, here are three reasons that might change your mind:

Your customers will love it!

Yelpers take writing reviews very seriously. They see it their duty to help others by sharing their experience with your company, regardless of if it was positive or negative. So, what’s in it for them? Besides perks, like free food at restaurants, Yelpers don’t really get paid. Putting a Yelp reviewer in the spotlight is like giving them a virtual slap on the back. They will love the limelight, and this exposure has the potential to opens doors of opportunity.

It’s free and easy advisement!

Word of mouth is still the best form of advertisement, and it won’t cost you a cent! Plus, Yelp makes sharing reviews via Facebook as easy as clicking a few buttons. All you need to do is log in to your business account, go to “Account Settings”, click “Change Settings” in “External Services,” then click “Connect to Facebook.” From there, all you need to do is log in to your Facebook account and click the “Allow” button. Now, all of your Yelp reviews will post to your Facebook wall. That means negative reviews, too. This something that every business will have to deal with at one point or another, even businesses with high ratings. Look at it as an opportunity to show your customers that you will go the extra mile to find a solution and fix a problem.

Others will follow suit!

Sometimes all it takes is one happy customer for positive reviews to spread like wildfire. A positive review can encourage a Facebook friend to comment or head to Yelp to share a similar experience. Sharing your Yelp reviews on Facebook grants you access to an audience you couldn’t reach on Yelp alone. Keep in mind, if you don’t want to automatically share reviews, you can always copy and paste the review as a status.

Closing

While Yelp may be more popular for those in the food and beverage industry, any business of any size can benefit from creating a Yelp profile. Once created, your customers can easily find your business location, post reviews and photos, and rate your business! Let them do most of the legwork. You work hard enough!

 

 

3 Ways to Attract Online Customer Reviews

email 2Positive customer reviews are important. How important? Consider this: 88% of consumers are influenced by online reviews. That means what your customers are saying about you online plays a HUGE role in the buying process, for better or worse. The key to getting positive reviews is, well, doing a good a job. It’s that simple. Put your customer first, deliver excellent service, and offer excellent products. Many business owners tend to overthink getting positive reviews and will go to great lengths to get them, even if that means going against Google’s guidelines.

Here are three legitimate ways you can attract online customer reviews:

Make forms easy

People like writing reviews. Whether sharing a good experience or bad experience, a majority of people will take 5 minutes out of their day to let others know if your company is worth their time or money. So, throw them a bone. Make it easy for them. Unless someone has something really bad to say about your company, no one is going spend time looking for a place to write a review. Create profiles wherever you can: Yelp, LinkedIn, Yahoo Local, Google Local, Trip Advisor, and Angie’s List. It’s also helpful to integrate a testimonials page on your website. This will allow a customer to leave a review with ease, and it’s a great way to boost your ranking on search listings.

Offer incentives

When it comes to online reviews, you need to be ethical. If you’re a startup, you may be tempted to buy positive online reviews. Quick word of advice: don’t. If your customers can’t spot the fakes, online review sites will. Not only will that cost you your reputation, you’ll also have to pay a hefty fine. Fake reviews are fraud. Why shoot yourself in the foot? Sometimes, all your customer needs is a little push to write a review. Offering an incentive, such as a discount on a future service, can be that extra thing that gets them sharing their thoughts about their experience. If you have a physical storefront hang up posters to let them know about the contest, or you can share it on social media.

Share reviews

Creating a company Facebook page is free and easy –  there is no reason why your business shouldn’t have one. It’s a great way to enhance your brand, share ongoing specials and promotions, and build and maintain relationships with your clientele. It can also be used to share positive reviews. Your customers will love being in the limelight, and their good word will motivate other satisfied customers to follow suit. It’s a win-win.

Closing

Online reviews are the new word of mouth. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely people are to choose your company over local competition. Keep in mind, that you will get a negative review from time to time. That’s life. See it as opportunity to show your clients that you care about your company by finding a solution to their problem.

3 Reasons You Should Not Buy Fake Customer Reviews

3 reasons you should not buyPositive customer reviews greatly impact the purchasing process and are essential in running a successful business. 92% of consumers read online reviews when searching for a service or product. What customers are saying about you on Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Amazon can be a deciding factor in whether or not you’ll be getting a phone call. The more positive reviews your company has the more likely a consumer is to choose your services or products. Not to mention, they help to move your website up on search result pages.

Given all that good stuff, it is not surprising that there are a ton of fake customer review writing companies for hire. If you’re a startup, you might be tempted to pay for such a service to get the ball rolling. Here’s three reasons why you shouldn’t:

Your Customers Can Spot Fake Reviews

Your customers are on the ball when it comes to reading online customer reviews. Fake reviews sound fake. They tend to be short, generic, and not at all helpful. A phony comment isn’t hard to spot, and it can wind up costing you your reputation. If you have glowing reviews about your customer service, but the beat on the street is otherwise, something clearly isn’t adding up. Lying to your customers is not a good way to earn their trust. You’re setting yourself up for failure.

Review Sites Are Smarter Than You Think

As much as it might hurt to see the dozens of online reviews your competition has, the age-old adage applies here: quality over quantity. It’s better to have a few real positive reviews than a hundred fake positive reviews. If your customers can’t spot the fakes, online review sites will, and that’ll cost you much more than your reputation. Fake reviews are fraud. Getting caught writing fake reviews comes with a pretty hefty fine. Why risk it?

You Miss the Opportunity to Have a Conversation

Reviews come in all types of flavors, both good and bad. Your job is to respond to them. A positive review is an awesome opportunity to provide your customers with a thoughtful thank you. And, while negative reviews suck, they’re a chance to show that you care about your company and will do what you can to find a solution to their problem. This type of engagement and interaction isn’t possible with fake customer reviews.

Closing

Making a good name for yourself can take time. If you are a new business, don’t get discouraged. Reviews will come. Negative reviews, too. See them as an opportunity to improve. It’s better to be flawed than fake.

 

 

3 Simple Ways Small Businesses Can Say Thank You to Customers

3 Simple Ways Small Businesses Can Say Thank You to Customers by LinkNow Media

Customer retention is one of the most important aspects of running a small business. With increasing competition in many sectors of the market, it’s even more important to display your creative edge over your competitors to show customers why they should do business with you. It has been found that 68% of customers switch between businesses because they feel under-appreciated. Here are 3 simple, but often overlooked, techniques to show your gratitude.

1. Handwritten Notes

Showing gratitude after a customer completes a purchase is one of the most effective ways to show appreciation. Handwritten notes, unfortunately, have been lost to the past due to technological advances like email and text messaging, but that doesn’t mean they are any less effective in terms of showing gratitude.

Be sure to send the note in a timely manner, as promptness will help solidify your stance in the mind of the consumer. This will ultimately put your business at top of mind next time that consumer has a need to be filled. Although handwritten notes may take longer than an email or text, customers often take this into account when receiving them, and the commitment to showing gratitude does not go unnoticed.

2. Exclusive Sales

Offering customers exclusive offers via email, or regular mail is a very effective way to increase customer retention. It’s simple: people love to save money. But, one way to take it a step further is to offer more exclusive offers and coupons to loyal customers.

This can be a surprise email, postage coupon, or a simple discount at the conclusion of the transaction. If you can make the customer feel valuable in more ways than one, they will feel appreciated. This is technique has become somewhat less popular with the introduction of loyalty clubs, but it can still create the same effect as those programs.

3. Personalized Interactions

Many businesses today are reaping the benefits of social media exposure as it is allowing their businesses to grow and flourish online. This is a direct result of low-cost advertising and public customer interaction. Many customers interact with companies via social media, both before their transaction and after.

The most important aspect of this is the after-transaction phase. In this phase, businesses should interact with customers more personally on social media to create a deeper customer relationship, making the whole consumer experience more memorable. Thanking customers for their business and addressing them by first name is among the best ways to do this. Make a point to personalize each interaction.

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How to Say Thank You to Your Customers

A customer base is the oxygen of business. You simply cannot exist without it. As a small business owner, you should not be afraid to say thank you to the life source of your company. Demonstrating your gratitude through actions is a much more impactful way through which you can show that you care about your customers. Here are a few ways to thank your clientele.

Educate your customers and help them obtain new “insider” knowledge of your niche. As an expert in your field, you should make an effort to share your expertise with your most loyal patrons. The more your clients know about your industry, the more they will come to understand the value of the service or product your provide. 

Bring attention to your customers in an online setting. Contact and thank customers directly over Twitter, Facebook, or other social media platforms. Display your gratitude for their business by trying to make your message as sincere and personal as possible. Go as a far as featuring them on your business website or wall to make them feel truly valued. 

Give back. Channel this appreciation for your most loyal customers into something that will benefit the world. Reach out to a select few of your clients and offer to make a donation on their behalf to whichever cause they would like to support. As always, the most memorable customer appreciation programs are the most creative. 

Host a customer party. Invite a group of passionate customers to a fun event such as a boat cruise, picnic, barbecue or anything you can think of! Not only will this solidify the loyalty of your most devoted customers, but it serves as a promotional tool as they will be sure to tell their friends and family about the great time they had at your event.  

As we talked about before, customer feedback should not be ignored. There is no better way than showing customers that you value their input than actually implementing their recommendations. 

Refer business to your customers. Demonstrate your gratitude by finding opportunities to send business their way. 

However you choose to thank your customers, be sure that you are being both thoughtful and sincere! 

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