Does company's website affect sales?

If we call today's generation as tech oriented it won't be wrong due to the addiction they have towards internet. All our quires are just a mouse click away, thanks to google.com, world's best search engine. Accessibility to internet is very handy these days, people prefer to use it to save time and take accurate decisions.

Most companies today have a website of their to let their prospective customer have a rough idea about their product and services, it is binding to all industries ranging from IT, Education, Hotels, Retail outlets to name a few. Once a website is created some companies doesn't do much change in it, content on websites are not updated at regular interval about firms development and achievement in past.

People are more inclined towards those things which are presented well to them, "well presented is half sold". Even after knowing this fact firms are not willing to invest money on their websites by taking help from online marketing professionals. But they don't mind if they are get business from their website but won't do anything to enhance it, to increase its reach.

Those firms who are investing money to modify their website at periodic interval are able to be more close to their prospective clients, customers etc. Reason for it that an individual can come to know about their the firm and its operation from the websites and can compare the same with others. A firm which is transparent and presentable on its website is more likely to cling deals than others.

In today's busy world nobody has time to visit places one on one, to collect information about things they are looking for, they get a list from Internet, note down contact details, call them to clarify the doubt, shortlist few, make person visit to the most promising one and get what they want.

I think its high time that firms realize the importance of their official website and start working on it religiously before its too late. If a firm doesn't want to invest anything on its website since inception its better to pull it down than hampering ones goodwill. Don't forget "goodwill once lost can't be retained back soon". It takes ages to build goodwill but seconds to destroy it. So be wise and act accordingly.

Being an online marketing professional it hurts me when I see some website who have developed it just for the sake of developing it, ignoring about the disaster it can bring to them in future. We can't fool today's generation, so better we upgrade ourselves to their expectation and standards.

Has recession come to an end?

Newspapers are flooded with articles on regarding recovery of market leading to new job opportunity but reality far to be seen. Though recruiting has picked up but still candidates are finding it difficult to place them in the profiles as desired by them. This implies to both freshers and experienced people.

Some people in mode of desperation are selecting wrong profiles or taking whatever is coming their way. They are those people who were laid off during recession and had to take rest. Now companies are finding it difficult to retain performing employees with them. They are luring employees by giving hikes, promoting them, making work time flexible to name a few. This doesn't apply to all companies, only few come under this category.

Those firms who were good to their employees during recession by putting forward unrealistic demands need not worry at all with boom. Their employees won't leave them expect in extreme situations. Because today employees want to stick with firm who recognize their work and efforts. Money is definitely the motivating factor but if an employee is satisfied by his profile and work he can compromise on it even.

Many people who are fed up with their current employer are looking out for a change buy not getting what they are looking forward to? Making them desperate to figure out the causes of failure to procure a good job. They are caught up in dilemma about what will happen next?

Whom has boom actually effected is the question freshers / experienced? I feel none both have not been able to get what they want until they are ready to settle for anything which come their way.

Is Marketing all about selling?

Their has been lot of confusion in the minds of individuals as well as organizations when it comes to hiring marketing professionals. "Marketing professionals are not direct sales personnel, they assist sales indirectly". Marketing begins much before the actual product is out for sale and continues even after the goods have been sold. Selling helps in generating revenues for business to meet up it expenses but the importance of marketing should not be sidelined, as its continuous process but people remember it only at times of crises.

A good once sold in market can't guarantee to sustain and retain its customer base in the long run, with no change in it. Its the marketing professional who come out with new and innovate marketing strategy to be ahead of their competitors. Customers today get carried away by those with which they are able to relate themselves with. Selling just focuses on get things sold out in market but marketing focus on developing product to be sold in market.

Best example of it - When diary milk came out with the ad campaign " Aaj pehli tariq hain" meaning you can have diary milk on 1st of every month when you get salary. Munch came out with new add to stating " you can have munch any day of the month not only on 1st".

Both "diary milk" & "munch" have hold in market but then also they keep fighting with each other to enter into others territory. They do such marketing campaign to create a goodwill for their product in market which will ultimately effect their sales. "At the end customer buys those things which see more frequently & keep hearing about it". Why do companies forget this fact?

Such notion have led to lot of confusion among MBA students which way to go "marketing or sales". They can't differentiate between sales / marketing and land into wrong job profiles. Then prefer to stick to it as a performer but an achiever. Very few people have the courage to change the profile when they know their track is wrong.

So next time when you hear about "marketing /sales" be clear about its meaning and reach...

A call from Veenit

Life has become so hectic these days that one need to find time to get in touch with friends. Yesterday got a call from Veenit my MBA days friends, though we were from two different streams but still had many things in common. He was from Mass. Communication but I was from MBA no where we had touch with each other in terms of studies.

Only thing which was common in both of us were that we did our graduation from the same college in Varanasi. He had seen me in college couple of time but I interacted only with my friends and didn't entertain strangers. He wanted to interact with me but couldn't muster courage to come forward. But when he saw me at AIT hostel, did come up to me for initiating talk. It was then I came to know about these things.

It was great fun being with him, a fun loving guy, always ready to crack jokes. Once had to shift to his room for couple of days as my new room was getting ready when I left hostel. Those were the most memorable days of my life. We used to wake up by 8 am freshen up have breakfast by 9.30 and again go to bed. Get up by 1 pm have lunch again to bed, at 5 pm have our tea take walk in layout, chat with friends by 8 pm have dinner talk for an hour or read newspaper by 9 pm were on bed. Both of us were experts when it come to sleep, thought we could win any competition in it.

But now our life has changed so much that we can hardly dream of sleeping full day as we used to do during our student life. Last year when he was in Bangalore, he was with me, we were discussing these things. We tried to repeat the sleeping session but couldn't succeed. That made us realize how professional life has effected our life's.

He was here only for a week on business trip, most of the time was preoccupied with phone calls and presentations. Didn't even get time to roam around the city, both of us were feeling bad about it but had no option, were tied by our professional commitment.

Nowadays we are in touch with each other either through phone call or through chat. Phone call usually fail as most of the time we may not be free to talk when calls are done. Later we forget to call each other, but still we are in touch with each other because of our mutual understanding.

Aren't we lucky to be friends..?

Season of "Swayamwar"

Seems like parents are in no mood to let their single ones to remain in bachelor state for long. Eligible bachelors also don't have concrete excuses to evade marriage proposals. Last year it was recession but this year market has picked up and many new job opportunities have also cropped up.

My case is no different, last year was able to save myself but seems like no excuse is going to work. My mom did come to bangalore for attending a swayamwar being organized by "Shri Narayana Guru Samiti, Bangalore"on 26th Jan 2010. There were 400 registrants for the meet. We took our respective seats as allotted by the volunteer.

Programme began at 11 am by lighting the lamp, soon profile of guys and girls were displayed on screens with specific details. Each individual was allotted a profile number, prospective brides / grooms need to note down. I handed over my notepad and pen to mom and asked her to select her daughter in law. Till lunch time my mom had selected 4 girls, I took the details of the girls to make our horoscope.

By the end of the event we had shortlisted 8 girls, now my parents need approach our astrologer to match horoscope followed by personal meeting etc. I am getting nightmare thinking about it, my parents are consoling me saying things will be fine don't worry.

Is their any way for all eligible to escape marriage till they are prepared for it?

A trip to the new flyover from bangalore to hosur

Traffic is major concern for commuters in any part of the world. People hate it but can't avoid it. Bangalore is no different, monday to friday people struggle to reach office and back home. Large number of fly overs have been throughout to decongest traffic in city. Road connecting Bangalore and electronic city was the busiest due to the presence of software giants like 'infosys,wipro & IBM'.

A giant flyover was being built to connect city to silicon valley covering 10km in all. Finally it was inaugarated on 23/1/2010. I wanted to go for a ride but was not getting a partner, luckily my friend dropped in to accompany him to petrol pump. As we were talking 2 more friends joined us and we all planned to drive to the fly over.

Within minutes we were ready for the drive with bikes, helmets & jackets. Had to struggle a bit to find the entry point, I told my friends before hand we would be driving slow. Once on the fly over we enjoyed the ride fullest on our bikes. They was parking lot on the way to stop for sometimes. Parking area was almost full with people stopping and posing for photos. We also took some snaps on our mobile and went ahead

We could easily peep into the campus of IBM, which was just a dream for most of us. Entire trip was enjoyable but the biggest joy was being able to use the fly over before most of my friends.

Mom @ bangalore

Who doesn't want to stay with their parents? I guess all of us reach would love to do so but can't turn their dream to reality. Students & bachelors working at different place miss their parents most than others. They eagerly wait for their parents or relatives visit mostly to enjoy home made food.

My mom has been trying to come down to Bangalore since I moved to my new room an year ago. Finally she came down this sunday to attend a family function. I was very happy to have her here. Though her bus was suppose to come by 7 a.m I was their at bus stop by 6 a.m thinking what if bus comes early bus reached @ 6.45 a.m.

This was mom's first visit to bangalore so was bit protective. No sooner did the bus stop than I got into it to find mom. She was standing in front of me and I was searching her. We unloaded the luggage and headed towards home. Cleaned room a day before to create good impression as my parents are aware about my lazy nature.

After freshning up we had our breakfast together dad had send chapatties. Then went to bed as both of us were feeling lousy. Mom was tired due to journey and I hve the habit of waking up late on sundays.

Seems like mom will be with me for a fortnight but will surely try to extend it for a month, shouldn't I?