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8 Tips for a Successful New Year
For many people, a new year provides an opportunity for reflection and a chance to
start a fresh page in their lives. The same holds true in business as companies roll
over to a new set of goals.
How can you take advantage of the brief lull between the holiday frenzy and upcoming
seasonal promotions? For those of you who didn't just answer "Take a vacation," here are
8 practical tips that will help you put your best foot forward in the New Year.
1. Reflect on the Past Year: What Worked? What Didn't?
Take some time to step back and examine how you did this past year. There are two important
questions to ask yourself when conducting this review: What worked well for me? and
What could I have done better? Are there any areas of your
business that were neglected? Take a look at your actual performance for the year and
compare it to past performance data. Did you generate more sales this year than last
year? Which categories saw an increase or decline? What about your EPC – has it
improved in the last 12 months? What contributed to your successes, and how can you
continue that success into the New Year? Ask yourself these questions and use the
answers to improve your business in the coming year.
2. Set Goals for Yourself: What Do You Want to Accomplish This Year?
Setting goals is one of the most important things you can do for your business. After
reflecting on the past year, set some high-level goals for the coming year. Maybe you'd like to grow your
overall sales by 10 percent. Maybe you'd like to establish 20 new advertiser
relationships. Whatever your goals are, it is crucial to think carefully about them
and record them in some way. Write them on a piece of paper and tape it to the side
of your computer monitor. Create a document and set a reminder to review these goals
once a month. Find a way to keep your goals top of mind.
3. Gear up for Q1: Get Ready, Get Set, Go!
Once you've set some high-level goals for the entire year, it's time to dig in and
nail down your plans for the first quarter. Make sure you are geared up and ready to
get off to a great start. Have you planned which advertisers you will promote in the
coming months? Be sure to pay attention to advertisers in key categories that relate
to consumers' New Year's resolutions, such as Dieting and Dating, and also to
advertisers in the Tax category. Also, look ahead to some of the upcoming seasonal
promotions such as the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day promotions.
4. Plan Your Networking Events for the Year: It's All About WHO You Know
Everyone knows that networking is a vital component of a successful business. As
such, make it a priority to look at the calendar and plan out which industry events
you would like to attend in the coming months. By planning in advance, you can save
yourself some money on flights, accommodations and other travel expenses. And you'll
be able to look forward to events and prepare for them well in advance to make the
most of each networking opportunity. Each event will enable you to establish,
rekindle or solidify business relationships. Be sure to save a slot for CJU in
the fall.
5. Review Your Web Site: How Are You Benefiting From That Analytics
Package?
Take a look at your Web analytics reports from the past year. If you don't have any Web
analytics for your site, this is a great opportunity to do a little homework and
find a package you like. Google Analytics is a fairly popular package, and you can't
beat the price. If you already have some kind of analytics package installed, review
the data and look for ways to improve your site. Are there certain pages that are
converting better than others? Try to figure out what specific qualities are helping
those pages convert and apply that information to improve other pages on your site.
Are there other areas of your site that could use a little improvement? This is a
great time to make those changes.
6. Get Some Feedback: Reach Out to Your Site's Visitors
If you are having trouble figuring out your next step or how you can grow your
business, consider consulting the best resource you have – your site's
visitors. Reach out to your customers and ask them for feedback. Don't expect them to
give you a definitive answer, but their input can help steer you in a new direction.
You can post a brief Web survey to ask them what they like or don't like; or, you can
contact users individually and try to get some more detailed feedback. Ultimately,
these people are responsible for the success of your business, so it doesn't hurt to
cater to their needs, when you can.
7. Promote Yourself: Try Something New
Your success depends on being able to bring visitors to your site. To that end, you
can never do enough to promote yourself and your site. This is a great opportunity
to test a new method of self-promotion. Take a stab at a paid search campaign. Try
sending a newsletter to your users. Consider sending out a press release. Build out
a page on a social network. There are countless ways to get your name out there; why
not pick one and give it a try?
8. Clean House in the CJ Account Manager: Is Your Information Up-to-Date?
Spend a few minutes reviewing all the information about your company in the CJ Account
Manager. Verify that everything is accurate and up-to-date. This includes your contact
information, address and payment information, as well as all the details for your various
Web sites and promotional methods. While you're in there, have a look at your Performance
Reports and find any relationships that were unproductive (i.e., any advertisers for whom
you generated no sales in the past year). Spend some time evaluating the relationships to ensure
that you are not missing an opportunity and try to jump-start those that still have
potential. Finally, consider removing non-responsive relationships to help you focus on
your more productive ones. While this may seem mundane and non-critical, a few minutes
spent on this now can save a hassle somewhere down the road.
You will inevitably be spending time relaxing with family and friends this holiday
season, but don't forget that next year is just around the corner. It's never too early
to start looking at new opportunities and planning for a successful year. We hope these
8 tips have given you some great ideas that will help you get off to a great start next
year and make it your best year yet.
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