In Brief (a 3-minute show highlight):

Johann Smit is one of five sons and two daughters born to John and Clazien (immigrants from Holland). With a degree in Business Agriculture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he began farming with his parents in 1994. Their 80 acres farm (Hidden Star Orchards) in the Sierra Nevada foothills now grows certified organic apples, cherries, grapes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and pluots. They also press their own apple and cherry cider and dry their own fruit for sale in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Marin Farmer’s Markets.

Address: 12601 North Clements Road/ Linden, CA 95236
Phone: (209) 483-8990

We recently launched a redesigned website. My company (supremeschoolsupply.com) supplies printed forms, lesson plan books, receipt books, and related items to schools.

I am seeing a greatly improved traffic flow and also better SEO than my old site, with lots of new visitors. We are averaging about 10 page views per visitor, and my order conversion rate is much higher than national averages for actual orders placed on the site compared to site visits.

We have very little traffic to the About section of our website relative to the rest of the pages on the website, with only about 1% or less of our site visitors viewing pages in the About Us section.  Any thoughts on the About section or how to improve? I am wondering if I need to restructure those pages, or just minimize them and enjoy my excellent order conversion rates.

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Jay’s Answer: People don’t really care about your company – they care for what your company can do for them. Having an About section is enough for people to know that they can find out more about you, should they want to. But most people are searching out products, and apparently finding them easily.

I found tonight that an existing competitor of ours already has a domain that will be similar to what I was proposing to use, although the main words will be switched around and an “and” will be replaced with an “n”; i.e. XandY.com will be YnX.com.

Do you think I should abandon the domain name altogether and go with something different or can I use it to our advantage someway?

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Jay’s Answer: If you’re thinking of the name as your primary website name, don’t do it. However, consider using the potentially confusing name it as a redirect to your primary site as a guerrilla marketing e-trick.

Can you suggest a name for my store in Hindi language which has to be primarily easy to say but should mean somewhat like GLOBAL , INSPIRED, UNIQUE, DESIGN, STYLE , SPECIAL, LUXURIOUS , MODERN (fashionable, trend setting, contemporary), EMPIRE, ENTICING, SUMPTUOUS etc……….

My client is too impressed and influenced with Indian culture that she is opening up a store for home linens in US ( and of course she will be buying from me in India ) based on Indian buying.

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Jay’s Answer: By picking an Indian name in the US, your client may pick a beautiful sounding name, but no one will know what it means (other than native speakers). As a minimum, she’ll also need a tagline to explain the name of the store (“Fine Linens From India”).

Alternatively, some yoga pose names may be great for her store name, since people may understand the name connection. For example, Tadasana Linens or Savasana Linens.

I am starting a mail order BBQ business that will be selling ribs. sauces, and rubs. The name is Pig of the Month. We’re looking for some help finding a tagline that is funny, a bit arrogant, and catchy. Something relating to pigs would be good, but not necessary. Humor is a must, as BBQ is FUN!!

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Jay’s Answer: Here are some taglines to play with:

• We’ll Rub You The Right Way
• We’ll Even Include A Napkin
• Caution: Fun Inside Every Order

Our company holds a yearly customer appreciation event and we ask our vendors to help sponsor. This year, we are holding two events – one in each of our market areas. With the economy being what it is, I need a compelling reason for our vendors to sponsor these events. What can I offer that would provide the highest value to each sponsorship level?

Typically I offer 3 different levels ($1500, $2500, and $5000) and each level gets certain things. Each level gets their logo on the signage, introduction during welcome announcement, and logo/link/description on follow up email….along with the ability to network with our top customers.

What else can I offer that would make our vendors want to go for the highest sponsorship level? Right now the only differentiation is that they will receive a list of attendees.

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Jay’s Answer: What you really want is a long-term relationship with your sponsors, not just a one-time payoff (and your sponsors would likewise want a longer term opportunity to talk with your customers).

Therefore, how about:
…a rental of your customer database?
…a VIP reception?
…an article written by your sponsor in your eNewsletter (on a regular basis?)
…an opportunity to develop customized solutions for your customers in concert with your company?

A particular style and styling of it will influence buyers choice of products in the regular domestic interior lighting market (table, stand, wall, pendant – lights). Therefore, styling can be of significance in this market. I do not think though that you can plan a marketing strategy based on differentiation on styling. Or can styling be a basis for a general marketing strategy?

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Jay’s Answer: In my opinion, it’s not about the lamp – it’s about the people who are likely to want your lamp. The style of the lamp can appeal to people looking for a retro look, or a refined look, or for their dorm room, etc. The same lamp may fit into many niches, but your goal is to make it easy for those looking for “that look” to find your products.

I have been asked to speak at a business networking group that meets for breakfast (small to large business) and someone gives a presentation. I have been asked to talk to them about what PR can do for their business – I’d like to make it a bit different rather than the usual I do which is things like, identify stories, what kind of stories, work alongside target journalists etc…any good ideas for presenting in a fun yet fresh way. I’m keen but not that experienced in it! So far it’s been PowerPoint and talking. It’s only for 10 minutes.

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Jay’s Answer: If you think well on your feet, go around the room (or just pick a group of people) and ask what each person’s business is and offer ideas for boosting their PR. People will see how you think, get ideas for their business (even if it’s quite different from those that you helped), and understand the bigger picture of PR.

I am opening a new dental office. I am looking for a name for my office and a way to brand it. I will deliver high scale dentistry (general and cosmetic) in a modern/ trendy environment.

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Jay’s Answer: The experience: You will not walk to a crowded waiting room with kids crying. Each hour is dedicated to one patient. When they arrive, they will be greeted and offered a drink. The treatment coordinator will help patients fill out forms and they will be escorted to a private treatment room or consultation room for new patients.

As for a name, here are a few to consider:

• 1-on-1 Dentistry
• The Dental Concierge
• VIP Dentistry

I’m an MBA student from Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management, India (IISWBM). I also represent the Students Marketing division from our Institute.We are planning to make some renovations, in marketing our institute. Ours is the premier most B-School in India. the tag line in use at present is “India’s first B-school Since 1953″ – which seem to be a little bit old and worn out. We are thinking to replace it with some catchy phrase which must also include the heritage of our Institute.

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Jay’s Answer: The form of tagline (“…since 1953…”) is a good one when you need to build trust in your organization. But that’s not quite your goal – it’s to increase the desirability of your school while underscoring your heritage.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• Great Businesses Start Here
• We Train Tomorrow’s Business Leaders
• Learn From The Best Business Minds