Grow your business online with help through the Government’s National Digital Strategy. The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is designed to assist small businesses with up to 10 employees to trade more online, boost sales and reach new markets. Participating in this scheme can make the process of trading online much easier for you.

It offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 with co-funding of 50% from the business along with training and advice to help your business trade online. Cutting the cost of developing your online trading capacity by up to 50% can make this investment very affordable for many small businesses out there.  

Making informed decisions is vital for all business, so the free help and training provided by your local enterprise office in the delivery of this scheme puts you in a position to decide what is best for your business. The training sessions cover various topics, including developing a website, digital marketing, social media for business and search engine optimisation. The information provided is impartial and will help you decide on what trading online options, are right for your business.

Businesses that have already received a Trading Online Voucher can now apply for a second voucher, where upgrades are required.
Funding can be used towards adding payment facilities or booking systems to your website or developing new apps for your customers. The voucher can also be used towards subscriptions to low cost online retail platform solutions, to help companies quickly establish a retailing presence online.

The vouchers are targeted at businesses with the following profile:

• Limited or no e-commerce presence;
• 10 or less employees;
• Turnover less than €2m;
• Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 Months**;
• Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application i.e. LEOs cannot accept applications from businesses located outside their jurisdiction.

Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher.   Previous voucher recipients cannot apply for a second voucher before they have submitted their final claim for their first voucher. 


**applicant business must provide clear proof of trading for a minimum of 6 months to their Local Enterprise Office

I was delighted to help Conor Ryan develop his new website, first time on Google etc.
At Conor Ryan Financial Services we have access to all providers in the market, ensuring we get you the best quote available.
Contact Conor today for impartial advice and let us help you reach your goals.
You've Always Got Time For Financial Advice.
https://www.conorryanfinancialbroker.ie/

www.veedyou.com has just sent me a great post on video marketing they would like me to repost.

​Video marketing statistics are super important when planning your marketing strategy.
There is a ton of data available online, but not all of it is up to date. And being “up to date” is very important in the fast-changing world of digital marketing.

Facing a lockdown, many of us have realized the importance of video content. Its power not only to entertain but also to unite and educate has shown that video content in its various forms is the future of online marketing. 
Luckily for us, I did not see any decrease in the demand for our video editing services, so that’s one thing to be happy about.

If you haven’t done before, now is the right time to invest in video marketing. For those who are already using video content; it’s time to redouble your efforts.

Are you in two minds? Unsure whether to invest in video marketing?

Why is Video Marketing Important?People are leaning towards online video content more than ever before. The numbers are there for everyone to see:

• According to Cisco, soon 82% of all web traffic will move towards video content.
• In 2021, an average person will spend as much as 100 minutes of his/her everyday life watching videos online.
• Users are twice as likely to share videos compared to other content types.
• 54% of people want to see more video content in 2020.
• In the United States, 56% of the young ones (8 to 12-year-olds) and 66% of the teens (13 to 19-year-olds) view videos online every day.

The Head of Forecasting at Zenith, Jonathan Barnard, agrees that online video consumption has rapidly increased. Users now spend on online videos more than half of the time that they normally devote to regular television programs.
According to him, the boost in viewership has increased the demand for video marketers.
The demand for advertisers and the increase in expenditure shows that at present video marketing is the fast-growing digital channel.
Video Marketing and Return of Interest (ROI)Video marketers seem to be real gung-ho about including video in their marketing plan for 2020.
But, is it really worth spending time, money, and effort? The following statistics seem to suggest that it is.

• 89% of marketers say using video content increases their ROI.
• 87% of all marketers say using video content has helped drive traffic to their website.
• 83% of all marketers feel using videos improves lead generation.
• 80% of marketers feel video content has increased their sales.

​Bottom Line: The majority of video marketers are obsessed with videos for a reason.
No one can deny the benefits of video content in promoting and marketing brands and businesses.
For example, SAP received millions of impressions after their video marketing campaign.
Further, a marketing campaign with heavy video content helped Tiger Fitness achieve a 60% repeat customer rate, which is 3x times the industry average.

Video Marketing: Who Is Using It?Let’s not assume anything. It’s best to start from scratch. How widespread is video marketing? Who is using it and their plans for the future?

• As high as 92% of all marketers agree that video content is a vital part of their marketing strategy.
• 66% of B2C marketers have used video content in their marketing strategy.
• 71% of B2B marketers have used video content in their marketing strategy.
• 99% of marketers that are already using video marketing will continue to do so in 2020.
• 59% of marketers who did not use video marketing in 2019, said they’ll make it part of their marketing strategy in 2020.
• 95% of marketers say they will maintain or even increase the spending on video marketing.

Bottom Line: In 2020 and beyond, two-thirds of marketers are planning to use video marketing.
You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity. But, bear in mind, the competition for user attention is going to be fierce.
To beat the competition, make sure you learn your customer behavior and their decision-making process.
How Does Video Content Help Brands and Businesses?Video Marketing Promotes Brand AwarenessCompared to other marketing channels, video content is more popular, engaging, and memorable, which is why it’s the right tool to promote brand awareness.

Video Marketing Promotes Brand Awareness
Compared to other marketing channels, video content is more popular, engaging, and memorable, which is why it’s the right tool to promote brand awareness.

Here are the numbers to back that up.​

• People will spend 88% more time on a website with video content.
• 72% of consumers prefer video to text content while researching a product or service.
• 53% of people engage with a brand after watching one of their videos on social media.
• 68% of consumers prefer to engage with brands that use video.
• 96% of people view explainer video to understand a product or service.
• Bottom Line: The first and perhaps the most important influencer that drives the sales process is none other than Brand Awareness.

It isn’t enough that the customers know your name. Customers also want to know the values you stand for.

No other content type, except videos, give businesses the opportunity and freedom to get creative and develop quality content that best explains their vision and mission to the customers.

Video Marketing Helps Generate Leads

From the above statistics, we know that video marketing promotes brand awareness. Does it also generate leads? Yes, here are the key numbers you should know:

• 81% of video marketers state videos help generate leads.
• 84% of video marketers state videos boost traffic to their website.
• 80% of video marketers say that videos increased the time visitors spend on the website.
• 41% of video marketers say the use of videos has led to lesser support calls.

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