Category: Job Search

A job search, also referred to “job hunt” is basically described as an individual’s desire to work for someone else – usually a large company or corporation – in return for money (wages, a salary, etc.) which can be paid in regular intervals – weekly, bi-weekly – in the form of a pacheck.

Joining a Web-based Business Network?!

Community

Are you interested in meeting like-minded business people online? If so, there is a good chance that you may have some interest in Web-based business networks. A Web-based business network is, in a way, like a community in the sense that it allows Internet business users to connect and communicate with each other on a regular basis, similar to the local Chamber of Commerce and other such traditional groups, except that the communication is done virtually via Zoom, Skype, Go To Webinar or one of the other Web-based platforms.

Despite the fact that Web-based business networking have rapidly increased in popularity – during a pandemic which still lingers – and their popularity is only expected to keep rising, there are many business owners, managers and entrepreneurs who use the Internet but are unsure as to whether or not membership in a Web-based business network is something they want to do.

Why join?

Depending on your level of interest in determining whether or not you should join a Web-based business network, it may be worth learning about why such groups have gained increased popularity, since doing so may help you determine why other internet users have made the decision to join a Web-based business network. After such an examination you might even find that those are the same reasons why you should, or would, want to join such a network. Among the reasons other business people have joined is the ability to easily meet other Internet users with similar business interests, some of which may compliment each other.

Before Web-based business networking it was difficult to meet other business people in a comfortable, professional and convenient setting without leaving their offices or home if the business is home-based. Business professionals had to rely on in-person meetings at physical (brick and mortar) locations instead. Are you familiar with, or have you ever been a member of BNI? That organization is a good example of the kind of off-line business networking groups to which I referred and even those meetings had to adopt Web-based (virtual) meetings during the pandemic, and a few chapters may still meet virtually.

The technology

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Technology has made Web-based business networks a safe and secure way for business professionals to meet other business professionals online and, in many cases, it also allows professionals like you to meet people who have the same or similar interests as yourself. Most Web-based business networks allow you to create your own profile and many even give you your own webpage. These profiles/pages will allow you to share information about yourself, including your likes and dislikes and since all other network members are likely to have the same pages and profiles, it should be fairly easy for you to meet up with other internet business users, especially those businesses that tend to compliment your business type.

Another one of the many reasons why you may wish to join a Web-based business network is because membership allows you to literally have a wide variety of different choices because, as Web-based business networks increased in popularity, so did the number of websites that could be found offering such memberships. Although Linked-in is often deemed the most popular Web-based business network, there are others that are just as easy or as much fun to use. You should be able to find those websites easily by simply performing a basic internet search.

Free and paid

Perhaps the best reasons to should join a Web-based business network is the fact that most are free to join, free to use and free of overly restrictive rules and guidelines. Popular free networks include Linkedin, Happiness Neighborhood Project, and Alignable. In addition to free Web-based business networks, there are online networks in which you are required to pay in order to join, and although you may not want to pay for something that you can obtain for free elsewhere, you are likely to find that most paid networks offer you more membership benefits when compared to free business networks.

Due to the fact that most Web-based business networks are free to use or at least free to try, it is recommended that you take a closer look at this type of networking for businesses. If you are dissatisfied with what you see you can easily cancel your membership at anytime; but if you find value in networking with other business professionals, then by all means, upgrade where necessary to maximize the benefits that accompany that action, expand your membership, grow your list of contacts and enjoy the increased profits that are often the result of such business growth.

Hiring a Web Marketing Consultant

Pay for success

If you are thinking about getting into the world of Web marketing but lack necessary experience or formal training in this type of promotion, it is definitely worthwhile to consider hiring a consultant to help you establish yourself and/or business online and guide you through the many tasks involved in Web marketing. Hiring a consultant is important because s/he can do a great deal to ensure that your marketing effort is a success.

You may pay more for their services than you would to handle your Web marketing activities on your own but the results you will get from his/her involvement would likely be significantly better. Hiring a consultant to help you jumpstart a Web marketing campaign is a worthwhile investment even if you have some experience in this vocation, because if you are competing in a niche that proves to be one of the more competitive you’re really going to need professional help to accomplish marketing goals, if not objectives.

Hiring options

The key to hiring a consultant to help you navigate any Web marketing campaigns you want to start is to make sure you hire the right consultant because, if you haven’t already, you will find there are many different options available to you since Web marketing has become a huge and very specialized industry; and not all consultants are created equal. You may also find that some consultants can create significantly better results than other consultants, but this is true in just about any industry in which you do business.

There are however a few characteristics to look for when looking to hire a qualified Web marketing consultant and, surprisingly, cost is not among the most important considerations. Experience and past performance are much more important and since you can compare costs among consultants who are similarly qualified, using cost as a primary method of evaluation is not recommended.

The experience factor

Experience may be one of the top two qualifications to consider when selecting a consultant to assist you in a Web marketing campaign. In fact it is critical because consultants who have a great deal of experience is expected to have an excellent to superior knowledge of which techniques are most effective and those that are not as effective or simply get poor results. This can save you a lot of time and money due because the need to experiment in order to determine what works will be greatly reduced or eliminated, unlike the case with a consultant of less experience.

More experienced consultants will also be more skilled in dealing with clients and will likely answer your questions more quickly and keep you better informed about the progress of your Web marketing campaign(s). These are all important factors which must be considered and since you are paying for this service you’re probably going to be very interested in receiving progress reports and staying up to date on everything that is going on with your Web marketing campaign(s).

The resume

Searching for and finding a consultant in the Web marketing industry with an excellent resume and great reputation is most important because consultants who have had a great deal of success in the past will likely have a great deal of success while assisting you as well. Needless to say, past performance is considered one of the best indications of future performance.

This does not to say that new consultants are necessarily going to perform poorly, but there is some risk involved in selecting a consultant who does not have a great deal of experience or who has not performed well in the past. You can feel much more confident putting your Web marketing campaign(s) in the hands of a consultant who typically generates the type of results you are looking for; results that will be more in line with the goals and objectives you wish to accomplish.

Pricing
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Once you have evaluated consultants on the basis of experience and past performance, it is time to start thinking about price. Considering price early in the process of seeking a consultant may cause you to be influenced by price over performance. Some consultants may be incredibly affordable but if they are not capable of producing the desired results, it may end up being a complete waste of money.

However, once you have narrowed your list of potential consultants down to a few qualified candidates, it is definitely time to start comparing prices. Once you are confident each of the candidates on your list is well qualified, choosing the least expensive candidate from among them is an easy decision. However it is important to note all of the fees involved to ensure you are making an accurate cost comparison.