Saving Businesses Money by Reducing Traditional Advertising Costs

TapMap can save businesses money by eliminating the need for most expensive traditional business advertising.

This week let’s take the example of a small to medium (average sized) business with little to moderate name recognition.  “Advertising” can be the life-blood of such a business.  The question becomes what “advertising” is effective and what “rate of return” is realistic on traditional advertising?

Most average brick and mortar businesses consider traditional advertising to include paper White Telephone Book, square ad in paper Yellow Telephone Book, television campaigns, weekly advertising in the local newspaper and perhaps occasional mass mailings.  The average business is looking for name recognition and increased sales.  Can those goals be achieved with paper and television advertising alone?  Probably not.

As explained by Megan Jones, president and CEO of Lokion, the Memphis advertising agency that made Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the nation,

[Megan Jones] designs no print ads, no TV campaigns, executes no PR and makes no apology about it.

“Nope. Our creative focus is exclusively online. … Everyone has their strengths,” Jones said. “Ours is interactive.”

Internet-based advertising is Madison Avenue’s fastest-growing niche. By 2011, the $65.2 billion spent online this year will morph to $106.6 billion, according to IDC Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast

Jane Roberts. “Business clicking online — Advertising gets up to speed on cyber highway.” The Commercial Appeal (2007-Current). Sun-Times News Group. 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2011 from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21834835.html

What do your customers and potential customers need to know about your business?  Of course, name recognition is essential to get customers to your business.  Traditional print and television media are expensive and most businesses agree that results are limited or questionable.

Businesses that rely solely on traditional advertising are now at a grave disadvantage.  Internet sites extent “word of mouth” miles, states, and countries beyond where the business owner even dreamt.

The Internet gets the “word of mouth” name recognition out about many product and service businesses.  Other businesses are taking advantage of nominally priced business web sites.  These inexpensive or free advertising options can be incredible for the business owners who treat customers honestly and provide a good product and excellent service.

All ages of consumers are using the Internet to navigate and make purchasing decisions. From children to grandma and grandpa, increasing segments of potential customers are comfortable searching product information on-line with lap tops, GPS devices, Androids, IPads, IPhones and other mobile devices.

Enter the technology available with TapMap! Your business can be small, medium, start-up or traditional brick and mortar in a charming downtown area.  Your business may be getting amazing reviews and feedback on the Internet.  Very nice.  Good job. But let’s bottom-line this.  Your customers want to know the price of your product or service.

Customers rarely check the traditional White and Yellow Pages.  It is just plain simpler (even for grandma and grandpa) on the Internet.  No dirty, dusty papers and no tiny print that ends up on innocent fingers.

TapMap allows our businesses’ end use customers to see what products are in stock and at what price.  That information drives customers into your business because they know the actually product is available for purchase.  No “rain-checks,” lost sales or, worse yet, disappointed customers.  No amount of traditional advertising can provide that benefit.

In addition, TapMap Analytics helps businesses to understand up to the minute trends in their industries.  With this information, business owners don’t have to guess about trends or rely on sales reps to pitch what the business owner’s end users “will probably buy.”   No telephone Yellow Page book can provide that information.  Business owners know what products their customers want and need.  Customers are happy.  Life is good.

Wasn’t Technology Supposed to Make Life Easier?

Beware Technology “Over-organizing”

It’s late springtime in the United States.  Great times to be with friends, family or even just enjoy nature or relaxing on the couch with an e-book.

Don’t get me wrong – I like a good tech challenge. But in order to remain in sync with customers’ needs, I need to be in the real world.  Frankly, I like the real world.  (Remember, the TapMap concept was conceived because I could not find a bicycle part in San Francisco).

In my opinion, the best applications are those where end use customers search on-line thinking “there must be an application somewhere for this problem.”  Again with my shameless self-promotion (but it is my blog) TapMap solves a problem that both retailers and customers have, it is a win-win, transaction complete and life moves on!

In contrast, there are many applications that claim to “make life easier.”  One can organize their business (or home) with multiple “get organized” applications (or books) and be left unorganized, penniless and frustrated.

My recommendation for those with (and without) technological expertise is to step back from the computer once in awhile.  Talk to one another.  Become friends in the real world. Business people have needs that they believe are insurmountable.  Medium to small businesses don’t even know technology experts could help.

Suppose a tech guy (or gal) is a customer in a small business and notices a need – voila.  An otherwise frustrating business problem becomes a tech challenge identified and resolved.  An industry is helped.  Commerce flows, time freed for customers and retailers.  That is no small accomplishment in the current economy.

Even better is a tech guy (or gal) takes a social road trip, hike, picnic, and dinner with a “normal person.”  Tech people and “normal people” need to get out more and away from business and enjoy life.

We needn’t struggle to find technological problems to resolve.  There are plenty of them out there.  With the increasing price of gasoline, declining economy and pressures on people’s time, tech can simplify life for all by helping the retailer-customer relationship.  But first we have to be in the real world.