I am going to go a bit off subject here but it's my passion!  These are some of my thoughts following analysis of my website traffic and orders over the past few months.

My other job is making websites appear higher in Google results.  So, obviously I check the figures for Cupcakes To Your Door on a daily basis.  Over the last few weeks people increasingly find my website by putting "gill cupcakes" into Google - for yesterday it was the most popular search term. So branding definately works.  Branding isn't just a particular logo, it is also the personality of the business and I'm sure people may think I am nuts at times but I must stick in some people's minds and that's what its all about.

At the weekend we had a wedding show but I couldn't go, so Mike did the show for me.  Normally following a show our website visits double but this time there was no effect on the visiting figures.  It may be that my absolute enthusiasm for my cakes is what draws people to know more, and this is something to think about when marketing your business.

Once your business becomes more than just a one-man band and you contemplate taking employees on you need to make sure that, if you are not going to do the selling/shows/events yourself, you must pick someone who has the capabilities to become the "personality" of the business and, just as importantly, you are happy to become the business personality.  And once you have done this use it, ie make sure that person is mentioned on your website and twitter etc and that they have a name badge at shows.  Customers buy from and make relationships with people not companies!  After seeing your stand at a show customers will remember you sold mustard and that the chatty person was called Fred but they may not have your business card anymore.  Make sure they can find you by putting "Fred Mustard" into Google.

I am currently looking at the analytics for a national company and not a single search term entered into Google relates to a single show or event they attended despite them having a large prescence at these things.  They also send a range of people to man the stands. 

Find one or 2 good people with absolute enthusiasm for your business, make sure they have character and quirkiness, add them to your website as your show/event personality, train them with all the information they need then send them to shows and events with a big name badge, a bonus scheme based on orders received as a direct result of the show and watch your website traffic and orders increase!

You see I am having a serious thinking day today but not for long as I have a range of biscuits that I want to experiment with and release on the website.  Perfect gifts and unlike cupcakes much much easier to send by courier! Yay!!  So watch this space.

My first, poor, attempt at a newsletter went out last night with a recipe for lemon curd, so easy to make but so yummy.  If you want to sign up please do so on the link in the sidebar of my website. 

Thanks

Gill