PSPINC Official Company Blog

Back from Japan

10月

27日

Our founder and CEO, Ken Uchikura, just got back from his trip to Japan and brought back some snacks for us to try at our Bellevue office! Thank you, Uchikura-san!

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #business #businesstips #customerservice #customersupport #digitalmarketing #ecommerce #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #pspinc #smallbusiness #tech #technology

How Businesses Can Improve Their Referral Programs

10月

26日

Word-of-mouth is one of the most underrated yet effective marketing tactics today, even in the face of growing digital avenues. It’s why so many companies have a referral system or an affiliate marketing program in place. A referral system utilizes recommendations and word of mouth to grow a business’s customer base and network. An affiliate marketing program is a little more specific and is more suited for individual content creators looking to easily monetize their content via a unique affiliate link. Then, content creators make money when users purchase using that unique link.

It can be as simple as inviting your Facebook friends to download a game to get in-app purchases or adding an affiliate link in your blog post. So, it’s not surprising that affiliate marketing grew exponentially in the U.S during the pandemic, from $6.2 billion in 2018 to $9.1 billion in 2021, according to The Performance Marketing Association (PMA) and PwC. And it’s only expected to grow even more in the next few years. But just because you have a referral system in place for your business, it doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to succeed. Referral programs only work if brands get valuable referrals and referrers get meaningful incentives to make their effort worthwhile. When done well, it can be the competitive advantage your brand has when customers are choosing which brand to go with when looking at similar products.

Components and Benefits of an Effective Referral Program

delighted black female barista serving coffee in cup in cafe<br />

When it comes time to create a referral program for your business, the most important thing to keep in mind is simplicity. Upon looking at the page, potential customers should know exactly what they’d have to do as the referrer and what they’d gain from it. Those incentives shouldn’t only be clearly outlined, but worthwhile for customers. If customers don’t find value in your referral program, they won’t want to take part in it. Once they are part of it, open communication between everyone involved will be the key to success.

The popularity of referral and affiliate programs is largely because of how beneficial they can be for businesses. It’s much easier to generate new leads when compared to other channels. Referral programs essentially ask referrers to aid in marketing your brand and products, converting them from current customers to brand advocates. Referral programs will help increase customer engagement, conversion rate, customer loyalty, and overall brand awareness. And it’ll give your business a better idea of who your loyal customers are and how to improve their overall experience with the brand.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#affiliatemarketing #affililate #benefits #brand #brandawareness #business #businesstips #contentcreation #digitalmarketing #loyalty #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #onlinemarketing #referral #referralprogram #smallbusiness #technology

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 138 “Simplify the Purchasing Process”

10月

21日

Regardless of what kind of business you’re in, the end goal is the same: increase sales for your company. There’s a lot that goes into getting a potential customer across the finish line. All of these are outlined in a customer journey. But even after you attract customers enough to get them interested in what you’re selling, you can still lose them during the purchase process.

The best way to combat this problem is by simplifying the overall process. If customers find it too hard to purchase from you, they’ll simply walk away. With e-commerce giants like Amazon, it’s essential to make the checkout process as easy as possible. So, evaluate your overall purchase processes regularly to make sure there isn’t any friction that will stop potential customers from buying from you. After all, you can’t fix a problem if you don’t know it exists.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #business #businesstips #customerservice #digitalmarketing #ecommerce #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #newsletter #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #sales #smallbusiness #tech #technology #web

How Businesses Can Grow with Influencer Marketing

10月

19日

Over the last few years, influencers have only become more common. More people today create content on social media in the hopes of becoming an influencer. With the growing popularity, businesses found it beneficial to engage in influencer marketing, which involves working with influencers to help grow their business online.

So, it’s no surprise how much the influencer marketing market has been steadily growing. According to the Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report from 2022, the global influencer marketing industry will reach an estimated $16.4 billion this year. With more customers spending more time online, it’s only accelerated over the last two years, jumping from $6.5 billion in 2019 to $9.7 billion in 2020.

Why Influencers?

Woman in Black Dress Sitting Beside Sofa Vlogging

Influencers are ideal partners for small businesses because many are seen as experts in their niche. But even if they aren’t, potential customers trust their recommendations more than other sources, especially brand-owned content. And despite the popularity of digital marketing tactics like paid search, 88% of people trust word-of-mouth recommendations more than digital ads, according to the Nielsen 2021 Trust in Advertising Study.

Influencers specialize in creating authentic content that people respond to. It only makes it easier for people to trust them, and to feel like they know them. In fact, the 21st Century Social Circle report from 2019 claims 50% of millennials feel they know social media influencers better than their friends do. And seven out of 10 trust their opinions just as much as the friends they know in real life.

Working with Influencers

Man with Professional Camera Filming Outdoors

While there are many influencers out there, it’s essential to choose one that fits with your brand. It’s tempting to pick the most popular one that will reach the largest audience. But your influencer marketing campaign needs to make sense to appeal to potential customers. Not just for your business, but for the influencer as well. It’s not about getting the biggest audience possible; it’s about reaching the right people. And the best way to do that is to choose an influencer with a similar voice, audience, and one that will be a natural fit with your brand. The best way of figuring this out is through extensive research into potential influencers and branded campaigns they’ve done in the past.

After that, it’s just a matter of reaching out to them. Businesses shouldn’t just choose one or two influencers to reach out to, and rather, 25-50 influencers. And this is primarily because many will just ignore your message, so contacting more will better ensure you’ll get a response. In this message, remember to point out the value you’re providing them. Other than that, it’s important to communicate clear guidelines while still giving influencers the room to be creative with the overall campaign. And if you’re lucky, it could become a consistent and collaborative partnership, resulting in more effective campaigns in the future.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #blog #branding #business #businesstips #digitalmarketing #influencermarketing #influencers #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingonline #marketingtips #paidsearch #ppc #sales #smallbusiness #socialmedia #tech #technology #web #wordofmouth

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 137 “Content Marketing”

10月

14日

As a business, it’s important to build trust with your customers. But it’s even more important for small businesses. While your website may have an “About Us” or perhaps even a “History” page, it may not be enough for potential customers. People want to know more about the companies they buy from. Especially younger generations. Customers increasingly want to buy from brands that have the same values that they do. And it’s why we see big brands support different social issues, even if they are controversial.

For small businesses, one way to build trust easily is through content marketing. Content marketing involves creating and sharing content online, through social media, videos, and/or blog posts. The content itself isn’t explicitly promoting anything though. Instead, it demonstrates your company’s expertise. This blog post is an example of content marketing, by the way. And while website traffic is the only directly measurable thing you can track, it will undoubtedly grow your business sustainably. So, while creating content that isn’t directly selling may seem counterintuitive, it’s well worth it in the long run.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #branding #business #businesstips #contentcreation #contentmarketing #customers #digitalmarketing #growth #marketing #marketingtps #newsletter #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #sales #smallbusiness #socialmedia #video #web #website

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 136 “Taking Risks as a Small Business”

10月

7日

Business success rarely ever happens overnight. But a lot of successful endeavors include some form of risk. And larger businesses can likely recover easily if it doesn’t pan out. However, it isn’t as easy for small businesses. But a business will never grow if they play it safe forever. The key is taking small but calculated risks. And doing it often.

A big risk, while it can lead to a big reward, can also be detrimental if it doesn’t work out. Instead, take smaller risks frequently when it comes to your small business. That way, it’ll give you a better idea of what works and what doesn’t. In the workplace, encouraging creativity is a great first step. But it’ll only make a difference if you execute some of your employees’ ideas.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #branding #business #businesstips #digitalmarketing #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #officetips #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #risks #risktaking #smallbusiness #technology #web

Pass Wizard Now Supports One-Time Password Authentication

10月

6日

We’re pleased to announce that Pass Wizard now supports one-time password (OTP) authentication. On top of text message two-factor authentication (SMS 2FA), it’s now easier for you to add another layer of security using common authenticator apps to generate a new OTP every 30 seconds.

How to Enable OTP Authentication

otp authentication pass wizard interface

To enable OTP authentication in Pass Wizard:

Log in to Pass Wizard
Go to your settings page in the upper right corner
Under General -> Multi-factor authentication, select Authenticator App option
Connect your account to your choice of authenticator app by either scanning the QR code or manually entering the key. While Pass Wizard’s new OTP authentication should support all authenticator apps, we recommend:

Google Authenticator

Microsoft Authenticator

2FA Authenticator (2FAS)

Enter the code displayed in your authenticator app to confirm the connection
After you successfully connect your account, Pass Wizard will prompt you to enter the one-time password displayed in your authenticator app the next time you sign in.

What is Pass Wizard?

pass wizard login on laptop and authenticator app open on cell phone

Pass Wizard is a password management system designed and developed by PSPINC that allows you to store passwords securely. With the free account, you can store up to 30 passwords. If you upgrade to the paid Pro account, you can save an unlimited number of passwords and gain access to our group sharing features, which include sharing specific passwords with a group.

To safely protect your data, Pass Wizard uses a multi-factor authentication (MFA) system via SMS or OTP, designed with ultra-high security and encryption technology. We will continue to not only improve Pass Wizard’s easy functionality, but also its security measures. If you still haven’t signed up for Pass Wizard, sign up for free today!

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#2fa #announcement #app #authenticatorapp #blog #business #cybersecurity #marketing #mfa #otp #otpauthentication #passwizard #password #passwordmanagement #passwords #paswordmanager #pspinc #security #smallbusiness #tech #technology #update #web #website

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 135 “Encourage Creativity”

9月

30日

One of the most difficult parts of owning and running a small business is standing out from the competition. But the great thing about having a small business is the space to be creative and try new things. In a bigger company, it’s hard to make big changes because it has to go through so many people before it gets approved. At a smaller company, we can achieve things much quicker and take more risks in hopes of watching them succeed.

For example, Hasbro is one of the largest toy companies in the world today. But it originally started as a textile company in 1923. Throughout the years, Hasbro transformed into a school supply company before settling and excelling as a toy company in 1942. Their claim to fame, however, didn’t come until ten years later when they introduced Mr. Potato Head to the public on TV. Companies like Hasbro remind us that the opportunities are endless. And creativity is something we should celebrate. While the switch from a school supply company to a toy company must’ve been massive, it also paid off exponentially. So, don’t be afraid to step out of the box with your business.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #blog #business #businesstips #creativity #example #hasbro #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #mattel #mrpotatohead #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #sales #smallbusiness #toycompany #whatsnewnewsletter

5 Ad Campaigns Every Business Can Learn From

9月

28日

Creating successful ad campaigns can be tricky. It consists of striking the perfect balance between targeting the right people, producing creative content, and ensuring it’ll resonate with your audience. But a big part of marketing consists of trying new things and learning from other businesses’ successes. So, here are five successful ad campaigns that every business can learn from.

Nike: Just Do It

In 1988, Nike aired its first commercial that used the now-iconic tagline, “Just Do It, which came from Dan Wieden, the founder of ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy. Everyone else, including the people at Nike, didn’t think they needed a tagline. But eventually, they let Wieden try out his idea. After the commercial aired, the success was conclusive and immediate: people loved it. In the years following it, Nike focused the tagline on female empowerment ad campaigns, where it thrived even more. Today, “Just Do It” is a staple in Nike’s marketing efforts and the brand continues to focus on inclusivity. While that wasn’t the original idea, “Just Do It” applies to all athletes, regardless of age, ethnicity, or gender. So, focusing on inclusivity helped Nike thrive off this slogan.

California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?

The idea behind the “Got Milk?” campaign revolved around the inconvenience and frustration that came with running out of milk. Previously, the milk industry marketed itself as the healthier drink option, promoting the calcium and protein benefits. But in 1993, Jeff Manning, California Milk Processor Board’s new executive director, realized consumers knew milk was good for them. The problem was that they didn’t care. So, he tried a different approach: this campaign focused on what people lost rather than what they could gain. And it’s something you can try for your next marketing campaign.

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

Whether you like it or not, you’ve probably seen at least one of these Skittles commercials. People remember these ads because they’re too weird not to remember them. And the imagery they use of placing Skittles in unlikely or impossible scenarios sticks out. The “Taste the Rainbow” commercials are untraditional, to say the least. But it works for them. And at the time, it was a very risky move to show Skittles in strange or even disgusting situations. But if there’s one thing that this overall campaign has taught us, it’s that creative ads work. Even if they are unconventional, they’ll, at the very least, will be memorable.

Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

The Old Spice ads are ones everyone recognizes. The commercials portray a sense of humor that proves to their audience that they’re not afraid to make fun of themselves. Plus, they targeted their ads toward women, even though they’re selling men’s body wash. In 2010, ad agency Procter & Gamble pitched this concept to Old Spice after discovering women made up 60% of men’s body-wash purchases. If they hadn’t done any marketing research, they would’ve never thought to market a men’s product to women. While it’s fun to be creative in the marketing industry, it also has to be backed up by research for it to work effectively.

Always: #LikeAGirl

For a long time, the brand, Always, led the feminine-hygiene sector. But around 2010, they realized they were losing out on the 16–24-year age group. Unfortunately, it’s also the time when women exhibit more brand loyalty over ones they like, according to their research. So, while they knew their products were great, it wasn’t enough anymore. When conducting research, they discovered that girls’ self-esteem drops twice as much as boys’ during puberty. They just had to figure out why. When they did, Always used that to their advantage by connecting it back to the brand’s core values, which consisted of self-confidence. And it worked in inspiring and encouraging a conversation online about what it means to do something “like a girl”. A lesson we can learn from Always is to double down on brand equity. Especially if you can inspire a conversation the way Always did.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #always #blog #branding #business #businesstips #digitalmarketing #gotmilk #justdoit #likeagirl #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #nike #oldspice #sales #skittles #smallbusiness #tastetherainbow #tech #themanyourmancouldsmelllike

PSPINC What’s New Newsletter Vol. 134 “Listening to Others”

9月

23日

Communication is one of the most important aspects of running a business. But communication goes both ways. You can’t just speak; you have to listen too. Here at PSPINC, we encourage everyone to speak up, even if it’s about something small. But most problems generally start small, so it’s our chance to tackle them before they get too big. But listening is about more than just trying to prevent disasters, it also inspires trust and loyalty in your employees.

With more trust comes new ideas. An open line of communication among workers makes them feel more valued at the company. Therefore, they’re more likely to share their ideas, through a casual conversation or a formal pitch. If the person at the top encourages these behaviors, it’ll establish a culture of interactive listening. As a result, people will work better together, and they’ll also be happier working for you overall.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #newsletter #officetips #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #smallbusiness

PSPINC Official Company Blog

フリースペース

Back from Japan

How Businesses Can Improve Their Referral Programs

Components and Benefits of an Effective Referral Program

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 138 “Simplify the Purchasing Process”

How Businesses Can Grow with Influencer Marketing

Why Influencers?

Working with Influencers

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 137 “Content Marketing”

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 136 “Taking Risks as a Small Business”

Pass Wizard Now Supports One-Time Password Authentication

How to Enable OTP Authentication

What is Pass Wizard?

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 135 “Encourage Creativity”

5 Ad Campaigns Every Business Can Learn From

Nike: Just Do It

California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Always: #LikeAGirl

PSPINC What’s New Newsletter Vol. 134 “Listening to Others”

自己紹介

ブログル仲間

カレンダー

最新コメント

ハッシュタグ

ヒストリー

日	月	火	水	木	金	土
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

フリースペース

Sign up for our newsletter

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

Components and Benefits of an Effective Referral Program

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

Why Influencers?

Working with Influencers

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

How to Enable OTP Authentication

What is Pass Wizard?

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

Nike: Just Do It

California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Always: #LikeAGirl

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

ワオ！と言っているユーザー

自己紹介

ブログル仲間

カレンダー

最新コメント

ハッシュタグ

ヒストリー