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April 13, 2012
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Business news you can use from your Better Business Bureau®

  Trends & Trust 
  • Study: People trust companies more when friends endorse them online
    Companies are starting to pay attention to what customer say about their products online, because 25% of all online purchases are influenced by sharing on social networks. A recent study by Sociable Labs measured the results of consumer sharing on social networks. It found that when friends make positive comments about a website, people are 25% more likely to trust the site. 1To1Media.com (4/12) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Move over, boomers: 3 demographic groups to keep an eye on
    Baby boomers may be a hot demographic to appeal to, but there are others that are gaining traction. With about 4 million births each year, the market for children's products is expanding, as is the market for domestic-related products because of 20-somethings. Senior citizens, particularly baby boomers' parents, also represent a big part of the market. Small Business Trends (4/11) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Prevent data-tracking and protect your privacy online
    Small businesses need to be increasingly focused on protecting data to maintain online privacy. This week, the Federal Trade Commission urged Internet companies to adopt stricter privacy policies and implement a "Do Not Track" system. Other ways consumers can prevent data-tracking include using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), enabling private browsing and deleting or preventing cookies. SmallBizTechnology.com (4/11) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  Customer Satisfaction & Marketing 
  • Customers' online feedback: Why it matters
    Even customers who shop only in brick-and-mortar locations research firms online, and what they say there about your company matters, writes marketing and social media consultant Mikal Belicove. Companies need to pay close attention to suggestions customers make in online reviews and answer questions they raise. Entrepreneur online/The Daily Dose blog (4/10) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Go on-location with your customers to boost ties
    Location-based marketing can forge strong connections with customers, as is evident from Subway's "You Are Here" campaign and REI's use of ShopAlerts LBA. When customers opted in, they could note their location and receive discounts from nearby restaurants and stores. Entrepreneur online (4/11) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Trump your competition on the Web
    Today's businesses need to stand out from the rest, especially as Internet startups keep sprouting. A well-functioning and appealing website is a good start, but you also want to leverage search engine optimization to drive traffic to your business. Make sure you offer multiple contact methods so potential customers can reach you -- and that you respond promptly. Forbes/Young Entrepreneur Council (4/11) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  Management & Leadership 
 
Most small business owners know the importance of managing credit effectively and that a "one size fits all" model won't work. Use Managing Credit - Made Simpler to find the right credit management model for your business and to help identify strategies to ensure you are on top of your business's financial condition.
  Funding & Finance 
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  BBB in the News 
  • Documents: Keep, toss or shred
    Get your shredder ready because Shred Day is just around the corner. As part of National Financial Literacy Month, businesses and individuals should shred sensitive information on April 21, BBB advises. Don't go shred-happy though; hang on to insurance documents, utility bills and make sure to retain tax documents for seven years. The Daily Times (Salisbury, Md.) (4/9) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  SmartQuote 
Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail."
--Charles F. Kettering,
American inventor


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