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Hampshire/Transport
Hampshire is very well connected. Southampton has an international airport at Eastleigh, with connections to various European destinations and a mainline rail connection to London.
Both Southampton and Portsmouth have ferry connections to the Isle of Wight and continental Europe. Southampton also handles many global cruise liners.
The M3 is the county’s main connection to London. The M27 (connecting with the A27) serves as a by-pass of major conurbations as well as linking settlements along the coast of Hampshire and either side beyond, towards Brighton and Salisbury respectively.
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Networking/Local Contacts
Hampshire is a very busy business region and it is no surprise that there are a great number of networking and business support groups.
Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce
Postsmouth and South-East Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
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Business Advice/Sales
6 Top Tips for increasing online sales conversions
Submitted by: Allies Computing
Monday, 22 June 2009
For businesses that have identified their potential customers, targeted their marketing, have a brilliantly designed website and have managed to get potential customers onto their website, the next crucial part of the process is to make sure the customers then buy the product or service! Problems with website checkout processes constitute the principal loss of income for the majority of e-commerce sites, with lengthy processes and pressures on customer’s time being the main issues. Research from Web Conversion specialists Lost Ferret has found that on many occasions checkout abandonment rates have exceeded 80%, meaning only 2 out of 10 people who visit the checkout will actually buy anything. Allies Computing Ltd, creators of the PostCoder® range of addressing software ideal for adding address lookup to web forms, offer some simple tips that you can employ on your website to ensure that potential customers don’t abandon you at the checkout:
1. Remove registration from the checkout process – Research from Econsultancy indicates that registration pages at the beginning of the checkout process contribute to checkout abandonment as this can be time-consuming, off-putting and often tedious for those who have forgotten their username or password.
2. Don’t ask customers to duplicate information – if a customer has keyed in their name and email address, make sure this data is populated automatically as the default value if the information is needed in another part of the order process, for example for billing and delivery.
3. Use additional services to make it easier for the customer, such as automated address lookup. This can reduce keystrokes and save time by up to 80%.
4. Don’t collect data you don’t need – have a valid business reason to collect the data
5. Make sure the layout is simple and clear, with any steps to purchasing labelled and progress clearly visible. If you have more than five steps, you probably have too many.
6. List all the relevant information such as delivery costs and times, on the main part of the website to ensure there is no interruption to the buying process and no nasty surprises when payment is finally required. Hidden charges are another reason customers may abandon the checkout.
Is your website already in good order? A quick review and testing will identify any holes in your processes to make certain you are not loosing out on valuable sales. A leading independent DIY home improvement company, Godfrey DIY, has seen significant improvements to their website conversions as a result of using an online address validation tool. Barry Godfrey, Managing Director of Godfrey DIY says "Now we have address lookup functionality added to our site I am very confident that we have minimised the possibility of customer drop-off at the checkout. I regard it as a very effective tool in protecting us against failed deliveries due to addressing errors." By taking simple steps to improve the usability of your website’s order pages, the impact on sales could be quite significant so it’s definitely worth some consideration when next reviewing your website. See http://www.postcoder.com/tt for more information.
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Business Advice/Sales
12 Best Questions To Ask Customers -
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News/Press Releases
Add your Press Release and let other businesses and customers know what you can do for them:
Local companies who join the directory can use this area of the site to update others on their news and activities.
Ideas for Press Releases could include:
Company Startups.
New Products and Services.
A Big new Business Win.
An Award or Certificate Achievement.
A Staff Achievement of Great Note.
Seasonal Promotions.
Company Sports Sponsorship Deals.
A Partnership Arrangement
Of course if you have news that needs to be distributed further afield or perhaps you need some help writing a press release then please do feel free to contact Spiritas Marketing about press release services.
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Business Advice/Sales
Are You Following A Sales Process?
Are you following a sales process? If not, you are not only wasting your time, but you are also losing sales because of it. You think you are in control but in reality you are out of control. Have you ever been rejected? If your answer is yes, you have just proven that you are not in control of the sales process; however, the buyer is in control. Isn't it your job and responsibility as a sales professional to qualify the prospects and to reject them if they are not qualified?
Who is really qualifying? Who is really in control? The buyer!
Do you want to know why and how the buyer is in control? The answer is simple; buyers follow a buyers' sales process, just like you do when meeting with a sales person. Sales people assume they are in control by answering all the questions, but in reality it is the buyer who is in control. They actually carry out the rejection, not you. Allow me to share the buyer's sales process with you. As a buyer, let's pretend you know you want to buy a white shirt and your budget is £40.00. You walk into a retail outlet and the salesperson approaches you and says "Hello, can I help you?" How do you usually respond? The common answer is "No thank you, I'm just looking". The standard Step 1 in the buyer's sales process is to mislead the salesperson. You essentially lie to them. Why do you do that? Is it because they have not earned your trust yet, or because you know they will lie to you and you are just trying to stay one step ahead of them. Step 2 in the buyer's sales process. You find what you are looking for and call over the sales person and begin to ask relative questions. The sales person falls into your trap and you receive free consulting because they are willing to share all they know. What do you say once you have gained all the necessary information? Step 3 in the buyer's sales process. "Leave it with me to think it over and I will get back to you?" Standard buyer's line in the sales process is to lie to the sales person again. Most sales people fall into this trap every time. As a sales person, has this happened to you? Step 4 in the buyer's sales process comes into play when the salesperson makes a follow up call and leaves a voice mail or sends an e-mail. After all, the prospect did say he would think it over and get back to them. Buyers never get back to a sales person, nor do they answer their calls or reply to voice or e-mail. Buyers simply hide. Your job as a professional sales person is not to get trapped by the buyer's sales process, but to have a sales process which puts you in control. You want a sales process which will allow you to quickly build rapport and to gain necessary trust. You must set parameters in order to eliminate surprises and to establish a clear and concise process which will allow you to move forward. At the same time, you must qualify the prospect with respect to buying motivators, financial ability and decision making. When this process is complete and everything is summarized, you will be in a position to determine if the prospect is qualified or not to allow for your time, products or services. Then and only then, you can decide to proceed with a prescription or simply walk away from the sale. ------------------------ Bob Urichuck is an International Speaker, Trainer and Best-Selling Author. Learn personally from Bob in the areas of Sales, Motivation, Leadership and Team Skills. Bob presents a series of great ideas and strategies with combination of facts, humor, and practical concept in a high-energy and self-discovery process that you can apply right away to achieve results. Subscribe to Bob's Free Newsletter, worth $297, visit http://www.BobU.com Now! Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com Permalink: http://www.submityourarticle.com/a.php?a=55651
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Hampshire/History
Hampshire has a very interesting history. For a long time after the Romans left, the area that today consists of Hampshire was the scene of several conflicts between indigenous tribal groups and invading Germanic tribes. After the establishment of Saxon control, Hampshire became the centre of the Kingdom of Wessex before the Norman invasion of 1066. After this the area continued to be important with the New Forest becoming a favoured hunting ground and Hampshire’s ports became increasingly busy. Southampton and Portsmouth prospered over the centuries, due to the advantageous facts that they had both deep water and shelter from open sea because of the Isle of Wight across the Solent. Portsmouth became a key naval port, and many of the defensive works built to protect it are still around today. Southampton itself developed as a vital trade port of the country, and still handles much shipping today. During the Second World War, both cities were heavily bombed due to their military and economic importance respectively.
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Hampshire/Major Businesses
Due to its sea connections, Hampshire is home to a number of businesses associated with this area. P&O are based out of Southampton, along with many shipping firms. The Ford Motor Company has a plant on the edge of the city, where the majority of their Transit van production takes place.
A number of major defence contractors are based in and around Portsmouth, due to the prominence of the Royal Navy, including the VT Group (contracted to build the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers.) Other non-military firms include IBM and Zurich Financial services.
Farnborough is the home of defence giant BAE Systems.
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Hampshire/Entertainment
Health and Fitness
There is an abundance of gyms, sports clubs and leisure centres that offer a wide range of sporting activities. However, water sports are easy to access along Hampshire’s coastline, with the Solent a popular area for having favourable conditions.
Dining Out in Hampshire
There should be no problem finding any sort of restaurant to suit your desires in Hampshire, from quaint rural dining in the countryside to a more diverse selection in the cities. In fact you will be spoilt for choice!
Family Entertainment in Hampshire
There are plenty of things for all the family to enjoy in Hampshire. The South Downs offer brilliant walking and cycling options. If history is your thing, the county has a range of historical sites and museums. Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Museum is especially worth a visit and has attractions for all ages. For shopping enthusiasts, West Quay shopping centre in Southampton is definitely worth a visit.
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