Lip-Sticking and Smart Couple Online

On Monday we told you about Lip-Sticking. If you aren't reading it, you are missing some great marketing tips oriented to women on-line. Yvonne DiVita of Lip-Sticking surprised us by asking for an interview in Smart Couple Online You can see the result of that interview here.

Check out Yvonne's recent book to make your website female-friendly!

In January 2004, Yvonne’s groundbreaking look at marketing to women online, “Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online” was published by print on demand company, AuthorHouse. In the book, Yvonne urges businesses to break out of the old Dick and Jane mindset of the 20th century and enter the new millennium where Jane is the gender with the power, the money, and the inclination to shop online. In fact, Jane not only shops for herself, her family, and her business, she often shops for Dick as his partner in business and at home.

Visit SmartMarketingtowomenonline.com to learn how to get this huge group of shoppers to your Web site to buy your products and services.

10 Furniture Shopping Tips that Will Help You Save

Yesterday, Toby Bloomberg suggested writing 10 Tips to buying furniture.

Here are 10 Furniture Shopping Tips that will help you save!

1. Measure the room. Make sure the 84” Étagère that you love will fit in the 80” space.
2. What is the function of the room? The furniture should reflect the users of the room.
3. What furniture fashion style are you?

Are you dropping the cozy-cottage look for a more sophisticated contemporary feel? Do you want sleek leather or soft chenille? Do you have a wood preference? Walnut or cherry?

4. Bring paint chips, wallpaper or fabric samples and pictures with you
5. Do you have a favorite piece or pieces in the room, or a collection that must be utilized?
6. What is your time frame for delivery?
7. What is your budget?
8. Have you priced furniture lately?
9. Will you need financing?
10. Do you need the services of Interior Designer? (Avoid costly mistakes!)

Bev & Mike

Lip-Sticking and Diva Marketing

If you aren't reading Lip-Sticking, you are missing some great marketing tips oriented to women on-line. On March 17th Yvonne of Lip-Sticking interviews Smart Woman Online: Toby Bloomberg, owner of Diva Marketing. There are so many good things in this interview from discussing a new poll about differences between men and women bloggers, to references to blogs written by women, to great marketing advice. For Example:

Diva Marketing Tips for Lip-sticking Readers

Before you begin to create a strategy you should be able to answer these questions.
1. Know your product or service. Can you describe what you offer in one or two sentences?
2. Understand your customers. Who are they? How does your product/service help them solve a problem or make their lives better?

Now you can begin to create strategies to promote your business!

And this two-part piece of free advice:

1. Understand the media’s/publication’s focus and audience before you “pitch.”
-Traditional: send a media release to local (smaller) newspapers and trade organizations.
-Non traditional: build relationships with bloggers in your niche, once established ask for a review or mention of your product.
-Use the mentions in proposals, send them to clients and prospects.

2. Write a series of “tip articles.”
Examples: An accountant could write - 10 Tips That Save Time & Money When You Meet With Your CPA. Or how about this one for a nail salon? 10 Tips To Help Your Manicure Last Longer.

Offer the articles free to the media/blogs/publications that you sent your press releases. In addition to providing value-add content for their audiences you reinforce your positioning as a leader in your field. (emphasis added)

Bev and Mike

Woman's-Net

Just came across a helpful web site! But first this is the article that led me there:
Why We Hate to Promote Ourselves Many people I talk to get there business from referrals, yet don't know how to get more referrals, don't know how to promote themselves, don't have a website, and are too busy to market. This article seems to suggest that there is a reluctance to take on the self-promotion for fear that they

need permission to become bigger and better known. It's as if we're naturally programmed to stay small and circumspect. And yet, getting better known can only help our ability serve others and give us more credibility in the marketplace

The article came from Woman's-Net - Womans-Net is a community of like-minded women who are serious about working from home and helping others do the same. And from Woman's Net I found that "helpful new web site" The Self Help Salon This site teaches you how to build "Your Platform", Yes, your platform. That's media-speak for your stature in the world or how well you are known. There are a number of free articles on this site. Here are a few:
Web Site Building & Ezines

5 Ways to Give Your Web Site a Big-Company
Look and Feel
By Alexandria K. Brown

7 Ways to Self-Promote Within Your E-zine
By Alexandria K. Brown

Your Traffic Building Checklist: 15 Ways to Get More Visitors Who Are Ready to Buy (Part 1 of 2)
By Alexandria K. Brown

Your Traffic Building Checklist: 15 Ways to Get More Visitors Who Are Ready to Buy (Part 2 of 2)
By Alexandria K. Brown

Web Site Branding Secrets
By Kristie Tamsevicius

Bev & Mike Landfair

Furniture Test Drive

Good article in the Clarion-Ledger Take furniture on test drive before making final decision

Before you walk into a store, flip through magazines and watch home-improvement shows to get ideas of what you like or want. Are you dropping the cozy-cottage look for a more sophisticated contemporary feel? Do you want sleek leather or soft chenille? Do you have a wood preference? Oak or cherry?

And don't forget to bring paint chips, wallpaper or fabric samples and pictures with you.

While you're testing the height of a dining table or rocking in a recliner, important questions to pose to the sales consultant include what the exchange policies are for both in-stock and special orders, how soon the furniture can be delivered and what are the delivery fees, and if there are any warranties.

At Landfair Furniture you most likely will be greeted by Bev Landfair, the owner, and the furniture you see on the floor is personally chosen by Bev. Her shop is intimate, with great lighting and bold colors on the four walls; Cockatoo Gold, Red Pepper, Rum Punch and Royal Purple. She is two doors from Starbucks! You can meet your friends, have a cup, and shop at Bev's. If she doesn't have the exact piece of furniture on her floor that meets your needs, she can refer you to numerous catalogs of manufacturers she represents that may. Many times Bev will allow accessories to go out on approval, so you can see if it will fit in your home.

Bev will want to know if you are working with a designer currently or do you need help in this regard. Her sister Carol Cornwell, who is an interior designer, may be available or we may refer you to any of the designers listed on our website with whom we worked most closely and are the Top Designers of 2004 with Landfair Furniture. Bev and her sister are members of NWSID and ASID, and have supplied furniture for the Street of New Beginnings and the Street of Dreams.

Bev & Mike

Inagaural Post

This is the inagaural post of Landfair Furniture Blog!

Landfair furniture